Freedom
by ggirl924
Summary: *Allegiant Spoilers* All her life Vivian has been trained to do one thing and that is heal. When a government traitor is brought to her to heal, Vivian is in for the journey of her life to find a boy who could help her save everyone she loves. His name, Tobias Eaton.
1. Chapter 1

Before:

Vivian

All my life I have been raised to do one thing and one thing only, and that is to heal. I heal those who have wronged our government just so they can suffer a fate worse than death for what they have done. I have no doubt in my mind that death is more peaceful. That death is the easy way out. In the world that we live in, death might just be the best thing imaginable. I've seen death and I've seen life. Healing is what I do every day. It is what I've been raised to do and it is what I will carry on once my father retires. It is what I will pass down to my child as they will pass it on to theirs. For my family, healing is a never ending cycle.

"Conceal your emotions, Vivian, and don't feel your feelings." My father always tells me. "It makes this life a little easier. Just be the good girl you are and you won't get into trouble. Soon you'll be done, and it'll all be over for you."

So I go through every day without showing emotions or feeling, which can be wonders in life. I might as well be a robot, programmed only to do one thing. This is my life, conceal, and don't feel. I train with my father, learning everything he has to teach me. He can save anyone who is even on the brink of death, breathing their last breath of life. I will have to do it soon, someday, but not yet. It's not my time.

I always wondered when my life would begin. I thought of what freedom would be like, how standing in the light of day would feel. But I wouldn't know, not yet at least. When I am sixty and pass on my job to my son or daughter, then I would know. I would get my first taste of freedom then, but only then.

But freedom came when Beatrice Prior brought it to me. That is really when my life began.

* * *

"Vi," my father says coming into my plain, white room. It is simple, with a large book case covering the back wall, hiding the head of my bed and a large wooden desk. Above the wall of my desk was a dartboard that was keeping most of my attention. I was sitting on my metal bed, the thin mattress underneath me. "They're bringing someone in now. She's in critical condition and we don't think she'll live. I need you to help me."

"What did she do?" I ask, throwing another dart.

"Vivian,"

"What is so wrong about knowing what she has done to be brought to this hell?" I protest, running my hand through my thick brown hair. The curls make knots in between my fingers, making it hurt when I pull my hand through.

"For now, it is none of your concern. Come help me."

I climb off my bed, pulling my hair back into a simple braid, taking my lab coat off my coat rack and follow him out of the room. Halfway down our small hallway, the only place I've ever known, we wash our hands at the sink outside the surgery room. My father hands me a pair of blue latex gloves and I slide them on over my fingers. I reach out, taking two surgical masks from their cardboard box and hand him one, watching him cover his mouth and nose. I do the same.

Together, we walk into the surgery room. I'm adjusting my coat as they bring in the stretcher. On it is a blonde hair girl who is covered in her own blood, her face pale and ashen. I watch as they gracefully lift her on to the sheet of metal where we will perform the operation. My father and I get to work immediately. He removes her cloths so we can see the wounds. I get the machine that will keep her heart beating so we can save her hooked up and ready to go. Then, the two of us begin to work.

My father and I have worked together long enough that we both know what the other is doing without having to ask. We both begin removing bullets, working on opposite sides of her body. I find a bullet to close to her heart. It was wedged in an opening, slowly making its way to what would be her death. Without hesitation, I work on removing it. My father stops to watch me, making sure I know what I'm doing. Lately, he's been giving me the harder, more challenging tasks so that I will be ready to take his place. I focus, keeping my hand steady as I remove the bullet that is wedged in her heart. I hold my breath as the steady beating that her heart wasn't producing returned.

After checking for damage and conforming to each other that there's nothing left, we stich her up. I had checked her blood type at the beginning so now I began my task of injecting her with packets of blood we get monthly from the soldiers here. All that is left is waiting for her to wake up and keep making sure she's healing correctly.

I glance up at the clock. Five hours have passed since we began, though it only feels like minutes. That's the way it normally is; we go into a state where time flies because of all that's going on around us. My father tells me that it's something that we've all done, so it's perfectly normal.

My father wipes his head clean of the sweat that had gathered there. He is a pale man, a few inches shorter than I am, with graying brown hair and scary thin, like a victim of malnourishment. His sad brown eyes suggest that he has seen too much, and for someone like us, I have no doubt in my mind that he has. His hands are warned and calloused; there are scars running up his arms from where scissors and knifes have missed their marks. Underneath is eyes are swollen purple bags that tell me that he hasn't been sleeping. His skin is paler than ever. Looking at him now, I know he's not okay.

"Go get some sleep." I tell him, "I'll finish up here."

My father nods and walks away. Before he leaves the room, I call out, "Don't forget to eat something." I return to cleaning up all the utensils. When I'm done sanitizing those, I wash the girl's body clean of her blood. When I'm done doing that, I put patches on her skin, directly over all the places that we stitched up. Her body is small and muscular. To me, she doesn't seem like anything special. She isn't particularly pretty or noticeable, but I know better than to assume that she is an innocent human. No one who ends up getting patched up by me is ever innocent. I think of all the things this small blonde could've done to end up here. This isn't a fate anyone would want or choose. I can't help but think, _if she knew what would end up happening to her, would she still have done it? _I dress her in a thin nightgown and carry her into the infirmary the next room over; laying her on a cot that is comfier than mine. Once I've hooked her up to the I.V., I begin recording what I know onto her medical record.

I hear the door open and close behind me and look up.

"I was sent to see how the patient is doing." Says Spen, the older brother of my best friend, Larkin. Spen is wearing his Black Hawks uniform that tells me he was one of the ones who brought the girl here. The Black Hawks, the elite team of soldiers once known as the Navy SEALS, only do missions such as finding threats to our government and protecting our leaders.

"She'll live," I say to him, "But you won't be able to do anything with her for a while. She was in one of the worst conditions I've ever seen." I continue writing, then hand Spen the paper.

He takes it from me, nodding. "I'll leave you to do what you have to. I'll check in again in a week or so."

"She should be awake by then." I conform.

Spen leaves me alone for a few moments. Then, I decide to go clean up the rest of the surgical room. I walk silently into the room and begin cleaning the bloody table. The girl had lost a lot of blood and I'm shocked she didn't die from it. My mind wanders to my father, and I think about how much I hate to see him wither away into nothingness, but I can't help him. Only he can. He was falling apart and I wasn't so sure I could keep him together like I normally do.

The door opens again, but it doesn't close. I glance over and see Larkin, standing half wedged through the doorway. I follow the line of his gaze and notice that it lands on the blood all around me. It is a good thing that neither of us has a weak stomach.

"I didn't know that someone could make that much blood." He says hazy.

"Blood makes up a lot of you, Larkin, but at some point, a substantial amount of blood loss kills you. She's lucky to be alive." I explain.

"Her name is Beatrice Prior." Larkin tells me as he comes over and helps me clean. I don't refuse his company. "She came from the Chicago experiment, but when it started to fail, left with a group of others and ended up at the Bureau of Genetic Welfare. She somehow resisted death serum and reset the whole Bureau. She was shot in the process."

"So what are they doing about it? No one in that place remembers who they are, how will they be able to continue their research?" I ask. Everyone in the Compound knows about the experiments. A few were successful, like the Chicago one. Others weren't. I personally find the experiments to be pointless. They were started because some of us were 'genetically pure' and others were 'genetically damaged'. From what I've done here, I know that the GPs and GDs, as we call them, don't change human behavior like the scientists at the Bureau wanted to prove. What makes a person damaged is what is in their minds, not their genetics. All of this issue is what had caused the Purity War in the first place, and another war could be on the horizon, if my senses are correct.

"What is the lie they gave her family?" I ask. They never tell the loved ones of our prisoners that they are alive and here. There's always a lie.

"She died in the Weapon's Lab of multiple gunshot wounds. They're bringing in a clone to show off as the body before they cremate her. They will move one, thinking she's gone from the world."

"Meanwhile I'm preparing another person for slaughter." I mutter to myself.

"I'm sorry, Vi." Larkin says to me, and I don't know why. All his words are nothing more than words without meaning in a situation like this. The life I live, this life, is all I've ever known. I hate it, but it's not like I have any other choice in the matter. His words are plain. So why waste them on something that doesn't change anything for me?

"This is my life, Larkin." I tell him. "You think I would've accepted this fate by now."

"No," Larkin shakes his head, "You have a choice, Vi. They're not going to give it to you, so you have to take it yourself. You can stay here and dream about leaving," he takes my face in his hands, forcing me to look into his deep, sea green eyes. "Or you can walk out yourself. Don't wait for opportunity to knock: do it yourself. You can't these people take everything from you. If it's rightfully yours, then it's not stealing."

I laugh, "I wouldn't make it off this floor, let alone out of here in general. They'd catch me and where would we be then? I'd be no better off than her." I gesture to the room where the girl, Beatrice, is waiting for life to return to her.

"I believe you could do it."

"Thanks for the sliver of hope, Larkin, but it's not enough to make me want to leave." Larkin releases me. He's six foot five exactly, three inches taller than me. I know because I have to give checkups to the people who live here as well. His shaggy black hair is almost in his eyes, and I can't help but brushing it away from his face. He is so innocent that it pains me. I'd be risking his life if I left, and that is enough to kill me. I love him, and I can't hurt him. I won't hurt him.

"Please, just think about it, okay? This is your life. Be who you want to be." Larkin tells me.

"Okay Larkin."

I watch him walk away, and it kills me to do so. He doesn't know how much I really love him, and he may never know. I am not allowed to date or even marry. Even if he wanted me too, we could never be together. So I always leave those three words unsaid between us.

* * *

I fell asleep on the chair next to Beatrice's bed without realizing it and the next thing I know, I wake up to my father stroking my hair. I sit up quickly, my clipboard falling out of my lap. It hits the floor with a loud clang and I shout, "Shit!"

"Watch your language Vivian." My father scolds me.

"Sorry Dad." I reply, picking my clipboard off the floor. My father takes it from me, checking to make sure everything is in order. "How long have I've been asleep?"

"You tell me." He says. It's meant to be a joke, but he's not really the joking type, so it just sounds monotonous. "When I came here you were sleeping."

I stand up, walking over to change the I.V. drip.

"Why don't you go clean off and get some sleep? I can take over here." My father tells me.

"Are you sure?" personally, I'm a little scared to leave him alone. That thought just never sounds appealing to me.

"Yes,"

So I finish what I'm doing and leave my father alone. I make my way down the simple white corridor of the Compound. This hall in particular was created for my family when we were first brought here. There are three bedrooms, with a bathroom in each one. The surgery room, infirmary, and recovery rooms are also here, but that's it. Each of us is born here, not knowing who our other parent is, and we grow up, following in our known parent's footsteps. If you're lucky, you even meet your grandparent who lived the same life we have. It is against the law to know our parent's names just as they cannot name us. When I retire, I will learn who my birth mother is and what my father's real name is.

I walk into my bathroom, stripping away all the bloody cloths I am in. the girl's blood still stain my hands and body. I hop into a hot shower, washing it all away. It is here, when I let myself enter the deepest, darkest parts of my mind, The Forbidden Part as I call it, I dream about running away. I even plan every escape route and picture all the places I would go.

By the time I have stepped out of the shower, I have the plan that seems the most logical in mind to use. But I don't. If I did, it would take a great amount of bravery to go through with it, but bravery is one thing I don't have. No matter how much I despise cowards, I am one.

Toweling off my body, I enter my room and dress in my white pajamas. I braid my hair back again, and then I climb into my bed, turning off the light along with me. I lay in the dark for a while, hating my coward self. Eventually I fall asleep, though I don't know when.

That night I dream of the world outside, though my image isn't clear, but I see blue skies and a vast green plane. I am chasing the birds that soar through the air. I am one of them. I am free.


	2. Chapter 2

Before:

Tobias

Christina takes me back to the Bureau one last time to say goodbye and make sure everything is in order for our permanent departure. I wander around the Bureau one last time, before my mental breakdown begins to creep up on me. I can't stay here a moment longer. I just can't. Tris is everywhere here. It's almost like I can still see her walking through the halls; sleeping on her bed besides mine. But then I realize that it isn't really her. It has finally hit me that she's gone. She's gone and not coming back.

I'm still moving, still keeping the grief at bay. But it's not working. Not anymore.

We go to say goodbye, Christina, Caleb, Cara, and I. I know what will be there: her lifeless, stiff body lying on a hard, cold sheet of metal. I want to cry, but there are no tears left. Tris is right where we had left her last. She is pale, so much paler than she was in life, and it shatters my heart all over again. Cara, Caleb, and Christina all say something to her, but I can't hear them. To me, it sounds as if they're talking through water. They probably said goodbye.

I step towards her, placing my lips to her temple. I have to let her go. I just have to. But I don't want to. I really don't want to. I know, deep down in my heart that there's nothing left to say but, "goodbye". I mutter those words in her hair. I press my lips to hers, my last farewell. It isn't good enough, it never will be, but it's all I have. "I love you."

* * *

Things will never be the same again, and I know that. I will be the man that she wants me to be, no matter how hard I have to work. I owe that much to her. I start by taking life day by day. I will be better. I know I can be.

It'd not much, I know that, but it's a start.


	3. Chapter 3

Before:

Vivian

It was exactly three days later when the girl finally woke up. It didn't surprise me that she was out that long because of all her blood loss. In fact, it surprised me that she didn't sleep linger. I was sitting at my desk in the infirmary reading when I heard her moan. I looked over at her and saw her hand move, so I got up and walked over to her.

Her pale blue eyes found mine immediately, and we stood there, holding each other's gaze for a long, intense moment. The way she looked at me was like she knew me. The idea was absurd because no one has ever seen me before I have to help them. They never see me after either, unless they are no longer in a stable, physical condition.

"Welcome back," I tell her, sitting in the chair beside her bed. "You were one of the hardest cases I've ever worked on. But here you are; still alive and breathing. You're quite the fighter, I must say."

"I realized that I wanted to live, so I fought. Is that such a crime?" her voice is strong for someone in her state, I realize. She is nothing what I was expecting, so far at least.

"No, you crime is not your will to live, but rather what you did to end up in the position." I tell her. "You're probably wondering where you are and why you're here, so I'll tell you. But don't think for one moment I enjoy doing so. Keep in mind; I am not the others you will face while you're in this facility." My voice is bitter and tired. I hate having to explain these things to my patients. I am the last person they put their hope into before they leave to enter the harsh world that happens above me. But there is always nothing I can do. So here I stand, giving another one of my patients the lecture that will not be my last. "You are at the United States Correction Facility or the Compound as we all call it. It used to be a prison, a place where others go for committing crimes, but now it's where threats to our society and government end up. Here, they will punish you for the crimes you have committed. I hate to say this part the most, but once you enter this building, you never leave."

"What?" she asks, "I will never leave?"

I nod my head. "That is correct."

"But what happens to my friends and family?" her voice sounds panicked now, but she's trying so hard to conceal it.

_Just like me._

"They have been told that you have perished with the injuries that you are now recovering from. The Compound is bringing in a clone of your body to portray as you so your death is believable. They will also give your loved ones ashes to spread in honor of you. They will be forced to move on with their lives, but you will remain here." I recite the words the way I learned them from my father. That is the way it's always been. This isn't anything new to us.

"All this is happening to me because I stopped the Bureau from erasing all the memories of the people in Chicago?"

"Well, you did erase the minds of the people in the Bureau." I point out.

"They were evil!" I hear her yell.

"I know that and you know that, but the government thinks they have lost some valuable information. But in reality, it may help make this world a little more equal."

"You know about the GPs and the GDs?"

"It's not supposed to be common knowledge, but yes, I know." I tell her. "I'm very observant, and they haven't figured it out yet. When they do, well, I'll be in a lot of trouble."

"Why?"

"Because I'm this perfect girl who does what she's told and keeps her head down. I have to take the knowledge they give me, but it's never enough, so I became observant to find out things on my own." I explain. Then I realize, no one knows this but me, so why am I telling her?

"If you want knowledge, find it yourself." She says with a smile. "I learned that the hard way."

I hear the door open and my father walks in. He still looks tired and I'm pretty sure he's still not eating. I decide to deal with that later. When he sees the girl awake, he puts on a pained smile. "Hello Beatrice, I'm glad to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been shot repeatedly and died." She says politely.

I snort, trying not to laugh. "Yes, because that didn't just happen."

"Vivian," my father snaps harshly, "Hold your tongue."

And I stop talking.

"Well, that's good to hear; it means you can still feel. I'll leave you in Vivian's good caring hands. Let her know if you need anything." He nods politely and walks out leaving me alone with Beatrice.

"Please excuse my father," I tell her, "He's going through his midlife crisis."

Beatrice laughs at my sarcastic comment, and then realizes that I wasn't joking. "What's wrong with him?"

"First off, he never leaves me alone with patents. He doesn't think I'm old enough to handle it yet."

"How old are you exactly?"

"Eighteen." I answer, "What about you?"

"I'm sixteen, but I'm small for my age."

"Small but powerful." I say.

"You look like someone I love dearly." She points out.

"And who is this person?" I ask, suddenly curious. My patients never tell me anything of their lives, thinking I'm not worthy enough for it. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not, but I don't bother to guess because my judgment may be biased. But this girl seems to be opening up and learning about people is my favorite pastime.

"My boyfriend,"

"So you're saying that I look like a boy?" I say, faking an insulted voice, though I really don't mind.

"No!" she shouts, "I mean, you have the same eyes; dark blue with the little sliver of light blue in your right eye. You have the same hair color as well as the same hooked nose. And you look around the same height. Same features, just yours are more feminine."

"I can guarantee that you've never seen me before which means that because of death serum we found in your system is making your brain a little dysfunctional."

"So you're calling me crazy."

"You said I looked like a boy." I remind her, "Which means we're on even ground here." I glance at her I.V. drip and realize that the morphine is out so I begin to change it. But there is still one thing left on my mind, so I ask her. "How did you survive the death serum? It was impossible the last time I checked."

"I'm excellent in fighting off serums." She tells me.

"Why?"

"I've been told my genes are purer than most."

"But that is still pretty uncommon. I congratulate you on being one in a million."

"It's a huge accomplishment."

I smile and notice her eyes beginning to droop. The morphine is starting to kick in. "The morphine I just gave you will make you tired, which is good because for now, the most you can do to heal is sleep. If you wake up and need me," I hand her a button that is attached to my pager I carry with me, "press this and it'll let me know to come."

"So your name is Vivian," she says as I put the button on her nightstand.

"Yes, and yours is Beatrice." I reply.

"My friends call me Tris,"

"My friends would call me Vi if I had any friends."

Tris laughs and I watch her fall under the spell of the morphine. I realize then why I trust her after just meeting her.

Tris is the hidden part of me I wish I could be.

* * *

Over the course of the next few weeks I get to know Tris Prior.

The first thing I learn is that she came from the experiment with the factions. Tris was born Abnegation, the selfless, but chose Dauntless, the brave, when she was sixteen. Which in other words meaning 'not too long ago', I had joked. I told her that I would've wanted to be a Dauntless, but would've ended up being an Erudite. She just smiled and vowed to make me as Dauntless as I can be.

I learn the meaning of the tattoo on her collarbone. I had noticed it when I was in surgery with her, but hadn't given much attention to it. She tells me that they are ravens, one for each member of her family. She told me how her mother and father died trying to protect her, and then her brother betrayed her. She tells me of how it was her brother who was supposed to die setting off the memory serum, not her.

"I wish I had a brother," I tell her. "I may never know what kind of love it is laying down your life for someone who is basically the same as you. The same flesh and blood as you, that is."

"Why don't you have a brother?" Tris asks me.

"When we, the medics that is, are born, there is only one of us. We never know who our other parent is and there will never be two, that way it's easier to decide who gets to become the medic."

Tris tells me of Tobias, her boyfriend, and how leaving him was the hardest thing she has ever done. I can tell that she didn't want to leave him, but now he will spend his whole life believing that she is dead. I tell her of how I wish I could be loved like that. The sad thing is that I know I never will.

I tell her of Larkin, and the hidden feelings I have for him, and how they will never be anything more than just hidden feelings.

"Take a risk and tell him how you feel." She tells me one day.

"Yes, why don't I just get him killed for my actions too while, we're at it." I tell her sarcastically.

"Be brave," is all she tells me.

I leave the infirmary once she's sleeping. I pull a book off my bookshelf and I sit down on my bed. An hour or so has passed when I hear the knock at my door. I look up as Larkin pokes his head in.

"I thought I'd find you in here." He says entering my room.

"Yes, because there's only so many places I'd be hiding." I tell him. He sits down on the bed beside me and I move over to give him more room.

"How are you feeling?" he asks me.

"The worst thing about all of this," I tell him sadly, "Is Tris has become one of my only friends. When she is gone, I'll never see her again."

"You still have me." He smiles a little, taking my hand in his.

"Yes, that's true." I squeeze his hand back.

"There's something on your mind, isn't there?" I hate how he reads me like an open book when I try so hard to conceal my feelings.

"Just something that Tris told me."

He raises his eyebrow. "Oh, so now you're suddenly best friends and have nick names for each other?"

I laugh, "I guess so,"

His smile fades a little. "So what did your new best friend tell you?"

"She just told me to be brave and do something that's terrifying to me." I explain to him.

"Then do something that terrifies you."

I put my hands on his arms, keeping him still. He must think I'm going to argue with him. _Not this time, _I think. And I kiss him. For a moment he is still, and then he pulls his arms out of my grasp. At first I think it's because he doesn't want this the way I do, but then I feel is hands cup my face, keeping my lips on his.

After a long, sweet moment, Larkin pulls away. We sit in silence and stare at each other for a long, beautiful time. "This terrifies you?" he asks.

"My life is different from yours, Larkin. I can't just go around dating whoever I want. My being with someone risks their life and I can't do that."

"Then we have to make sure no one finds out, Vi." He tells me, "Because you scare me too, but I want to take that risk. You tell me that you've always wanted to be brave, here's your chance."

I kiss him again, this time more sure of myself.

Larkin is right; I've always wanted to be brave. So in that moment, I vow to myself that I will. I will be braver than the person I was the moment before.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello dear readers. This chapter is written in honor of MinervaAthena1235 who gave me the idea for this. I hope I did your idea justice and enjoy. For those who keep commenting and reading, you are all beautiful and I love you and I dedicate it all to you. Stay classy and enjoy! **

Before:

Vivian

"Have you ever heard of tracking serums?" Tris asks me one day during her physical therapy. She's running on a treadmill and I'm recording what her heart monitor is telling me onto a computer. It has been about six months and Tris is almost as good as new, which means that it is almost time for them to come take her away.

"Why do you ask?" I say only half paying attention to what she's saying to me.

"This just seems like the kind of place where everyone seems to be injected with a tracking serum." She says to me. She doesn't even sound winded. How is she doing this? I've stopped asking myself that question.

"We are," I answer, looking up from my computer screen. I can just barely see the bullet wound on her left leg, yet she's running perfectly fine. "It's one of the shots we're given at birth, along with memory resistant serum so don't get any ideas."

"So is it here in the medical department?" Tris asks me.

"Yes, there's two medical departments." I tell her, "Mine, which is where you go if it's a matter of life or death, or the one upstairs, which deals with everything else. So I have a whole stash of it."

"Can you do me a favor and inject me with some?" she asks and I stop what I'm doing.

"That is honestly the stupidest request anyone as ever made while here." I tell her. "Can I ask why because it is my serum after all?"

"Technically it's your dad's." Tris corrects me.

"You and I both know he doesn't really do anything around here. So, because I'm in charge, it is mine."

"I want it because…" she begins, but doesn't finish.

"Because why?" I ask.

"You'll find out soon enough. You are good with computers after all." She smiles a little. She told me once that Tobias was good with computers, so this is just another comparison to him.

"Fine," I say, "But don't blame me for them following you if you try to escape."

I leave the room and go the medicine cabinet as my father calls is, though it is more of a walk in closet bigger than my own room in the back of the surgery room. My hand traces over all the medicines in there until it lands upon a small black box that contains the tracking serum. There are many like it, but I just take one.

When I return, Tris is still running on the treadmill. "How are you still doing that?" I ask her, preparing the serum for her.

"I like to run." She smiles at me. When she sees me with the serum, she jumps off the moving machine and I roll my eyes. I really don't like showoffs.

"So this is it?" she nods to the blue serum in my hand.

"This is it." I say. I pick up the syringe and walk over to the back of her neck. I bush the sweaty hair away, but she stops me.

"I like to inject myself with these things." She tells me. I let her take the syringe out of my hand and I watch as she injects herself.

"Are you even human Tris?" I ask her. She smiles faintly, as if reminiscing a better time, which was probably correct.

"Tobias said that to me once."

I laugh exasperated. "Will the comparisons to me and your boyfriend ever stop?"

"Yes, when you stop being like him."

I take the empty syringe from her and step back. "Is that all?" I ask her.

"No," she smiles and I know that the worst is yet to come.

"Now what?" I ask, tired of whatever game she was playing.

"Can you activate my tracker onto your pager?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"Take the code for my tracker and activate it onto your pager so your pager tracks me and no one else." She explains to me.

"Basically you want me to track you with my pager." I sum up. "Why?"

"You'll know when the time comes."

I sigh, "That's all for now. Return to your room and eat. I'll check on you later." Tris is staying in the patient's room that is right in-between mine and my father's so we both can come and help her if we need to. She nods and I watch her walk away.

I stand there for a few moments, wondering what the hell I was getting myself into with this girl.

* * *

I was up all night that night connecting my pager to her tracker and by morning, I was sleeping at my desk. I faintly remember hearing my door open and the footsteps coming closer to me, but I was in such a strange state that I don't remember them being real. What I do remember, though, is Larkin wrenching my hand out from under my cheek so my head hit the table. After that, I was awake.

"Good morning Sweetie Pie." He says jokingly as I glare up at him.

"Keep in mind, Larkin Hemmingway, that I do have access to your medicine so I can easily drug you with a disease and have you miserable until I decide you've suffered long enough." I threaten, rubbing my now throbbing head.

"Well you're in a good mood." He says sarcastically and I slap him, hard. "Ouch! God Vi, you have a strong arm." He says rubbing his face. There is a red mark upon it and I feel quite proud.

"You hurt my head, which I now have to check for a concussion, and I hurt your face, not that hard I reckon. So we're even." I'm being mean, and I know that, but my head hurts too much to even think to apologize.

"I'm sorry," he frowns, "Let me kiss it to make it feel better."

I try to push him away, but in the end, I let him kiss my head. "See?" he smiles at me. "All better."

"I don't know," I tell him, now faking a hurt voice, "My lip is numb and I can't feel it. Maybe you should kiss that too, make it feel better."

Larkin laughs and pulls my face to his. I sit there with my lips to his for a few moments before he says, "All better."

"No it's not," and I kiss him again. "You didn't come here for this, did you?" I ask him

"No," he shakes his head sadly. "I came to tell you that they're taking Tris tonight. It gives you time to say goodbye and help her get ready for what is about to come."

"Thanks Larkin," I say sadly. I'm about to lose my best friend for good. I knew it was coming, but I wasn't very prepared.

He kisses me goodbye and walks out of the room. I sit back down at my desk and look at my pager. It is all set up, but I still would like to know what for. I even programmed the guards into it so she can see where they are. When the pager gets close to her, it begins blinking with a strange blue light.

Lifting the pager off my desk, I take it to Tris. She is in her bedroom staring at the ceiling when I walk in. "Did you finish it?" she asks not even looking at me.

"Yes, but I don't know why." I shut the door behind me and hand her the pager. She takes it absently. "Listen Tris," how do I tell her that she is headed towards her doom? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. "Tonight the guards will come for you. After that, I don't know what."

"Will you do me one last favor?" Tris asks, finally looking at me. "Please leave me for a while. When I'm ready to see you, I'll come find you."

So I leave her alone.

* * *

"You don't know how much you look like Tobias right now." She tells me. I'm sitting on the ground, one leg stretched out, and the other brought up to my chest. My left arm is draped on my knee and my right is playing darts. I'm comfortable, or as comfortable as I can get sitting on the floor.

"This might be one of the last times I ever hear you say that." I tell her.

"I want to talk before we go." She tells me, sitting down by my side.

"Okay, about what?" I ask her, sitting my darts onto my nightstand.

"Tell me of the time when you told Larkin how you really felt. You never did tell me about that." She points out.

"Out of all the things to talk about before they take you away that is what you want to talk about?"

"Why not?"

So I tell her of how I used her advice. I told her of how in that moment, I was brave. She smiles as I retell the events to her. She smiles when I tell her of the kiss and how we sat together on my bed for four hours talking and kissing afterwards. I am happy to have a friend who I can talk about this kind of stuff with, even if it was for only a moment.

Before I know it, the guards are here to take her away. We stand up and look at each other.

"I guess this is goodbye." She tells me.

"I guess so." I answer.

Tris reaches out her hand for me to shake and I do. What I didn't realize at first was that she was passing me something. I keep it hidden in my hand as I watch her walk away. She glances back at me one last time, her blue eyes fierce, and then she's gone.

I look down at my hand and notice that she handed me back my pager. On the back side is a note that read_ be brave._

It takes me a while to realize what she wants me to be brave for.

The pager shows me where she is.

And where the guards are.

She's going to cause a riot so that I may escape.

Be brave Vivian.

I will be.

* * *

Getting into the elevator is easy, getting off is the hard part. I follow the maze that the pager has laid out for me. I see Tris's blinking dot on the screen. Most of the guards have gone in her direction so I don't see anyone until I'm close to the exit. I see three guards standing at the door between me and my freedom. I try to think of what to do, but I'm not a strategist.

Then I hear the guns go off.

I look around the corners of the wall shielding me and I see her. Tris has all the guards' attention on her. I now have an easy escape. I sneak around towards the doors and she sees me. She smiles one last time and mouths the words "run". And I do.

I'm running faster than I've ever had before. A head of me on the dark lawn is a fence, and I instantly know I'm in trouble. There is no way I can make it out without being noticed. I begin to panic, but then I see him.

Larkin in managing the gate to my right. And he is alone.

I run to him, faster than before. When he sees me, his eyes widen.

"How the hell did you get out?" he asks once I'm close to him.

"My secret," I pant. "You wanted me to escape right?"

"Yes, you've always had a choice."

"I'm making it now."

"I can't come with you, you know that right?" he tells me sadly.

"Not today, but someday. I promise you that." I tell him.

Larkin kisses me one last time and points to the gap at his feet. "That's your escape." He tells me. "Do me a favor though, and knock me out with his." He hands me his gun. I take it. I don't want to hurt him, but I have to.

"Protect her, will you?" I ask.

"I'll do my best."

"I love you." I tell him. I feel the tears come before I can stop them. I've known Larkin all my life and this is the first time ever saying those words.

"I love you too, Vivian. I'll see you again one day."

And with that, I strike the butt of the gun against his face. I watch his eyes roll back into his skull as he crumbles to the ground. But I don't have time to think about what I have done. Guards are beginning to notice me. I crawl through the gap in the fence and run.

I don't know where I'm going and I don't care. When I reach the boundaries of the city, I stop. I can't turn back now, not after I risked Larkin and Tris to leave. So I step into the unknown, not daring to look back.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! Here is the first actual chapter. Sorry about the last one, I'm not really good a describing prison runs or anything. I basically listened to "Let it Go" from Frozen on repeat writing this chapter...oops... but anyway, I hope you enjoy! Thank you for all the comments, I really do like reading those. **

Chapter One:

Vivian

Two years. That's how long I've been gone. Two whole years.

Once I had left the Compound I went to the Fringe, where all the other outcasts were. I learned quickly that if you couldn't fight, you would die. So I spent my first night in terror, mending the wound on my arm. I questioned why I had left. There was nothing good out here but death and destruction. I thought about going back, but then I saw my first star. For something so small, it was incredible. I stayed were I was that whole night, just looking at that star. It my first taste of freedom. And that morning, I stood there in the light of day for the first time.

I knew then that I would never go back.

I cut away all ties I had with the government. I spent weeks making a serum to defuse the tracker inside of me, so no matter where I was, they wouldn't follow me. For the first month alone, they would send people after me, but I somehow always managed to escape. Eventually I succeeded in destroying my tracker and continued on my journey.

I was no longer the perfect girl I was born to be. She is gone. That perfect girl is gone. I stopped wearing white, trading my lab coat for a black leather jacket, my shoes for boots, my dress for black pants and shirts. I stopped wearing my hair in short braids, but instead I let my curly mane grow until it was at my waist. I wore it draped over my shoulder mostly, but on occasion I would pull it out of my face into a ponytail. My soft features had hardened, making me look older, fiercer. If anyone saw me now, they wouldn't even know who I was. Even I don't know who this girl is anymore, but she is me and I am her. There is no escaping that.

I never stayed anywhere for too long. That was my new philosophy, just keep moving.

I carried a knife with me at all times and I had become pretty good at using it if I had to. After the few times I'd used a gun that my aim was pretty accurate. I hadn't missed my target so far. I wouldn't kill, but I had to be able to defend myself. I had used my father's old teachings and put them to work. He had taught me how to use the earth to make medicine instead of waiting on scientists to do it for us. So that is what I did. I used my healing talent to trade my way west. I don't know when, but I had decided to go to Chicago. I knew that someone there would want to help me. I wasn't going to let the government divide people up because of their genetics, but I also wasn't going to do it alone. I made allies wherever I went so that when the time came, they would help me bring down those dictators.

Somehow, after two whole years hitchhiking and walking, I made it to the outskirts of Chicago. All around me were worn down neighborhoods, but in the center of it all was an old airport, the Bureau. I decided to stop there for the night to see how the memory serum had worked on their teachings, but when I got to the entrance, I realized that there may not be enough time for me to do that. I had already wasted enough. So I left, heading for Chicago.

There was only one person I knew who would help me if I revealed the truth. I know, because this person is supposed to be like me. I had no idea how to find him or even how to explain to him what was going on, but he was the reason I came here in the first place. So I kept walking, heading into a city that was new to me with one name in mind.

Tobias.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Two:

Tobias

After we had spread her ashes there was nothing more to do than to let her go. It is hard, but it is also getting easier. My fear of losing her has changed into my fear of forgetting her. All of her memories are dulling, like all do after time. I still love her, I really do, but I feel as if she would've wanted me to move on, so I'm working up the courage to do so.

I sit at a desk by the window of the Hub, the new headquarters for our small government, and stare out of it, not paying any attention to what is going on around me. I am thinking about her, as I do most of the time. I think about her laugh, her smile, her intense eyes; anything and everything. I am missing her right now. Some moments I miss her more than others, and this is one of them. I see the sky, the color of her eyes. I miss them.

I'm so out of it I don't even notice the girl standing at my door and I look up. She's pretty, I think, but she looks to familiar. Her dark eyes are intense and a little crazy, but also sad, like she has seen too many terrible things. Her brown hair is draped over her shoulder, reaching just above her waist. She's dressed in all black; a black, tank top, torn up black jeans, a black leather jacket wrapped around her waist, and black boots. I can't help think for a moment of all the Dauntless in their black, but the girl looks like she had come from the Fringe, which makes me a little edgy.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice tired. "But I'm looking for someone, and I've been told you might be able to help me."

"If I can't help you, I will personally find someone who can." I tell her. She stands still, like a stature and she looks tired. I want to help her because the Abnegation still in me wants to. "Who are you looking for?"

"He goes by the name Tobias Eaton, or Four as most called him."

Me, she's looking for me. "It's been a while since someone has called me Four," I tell her. "I go by Tobias Johnson now."

"You didn't get married, did you?" she attempts at a joke, but her heart is not in it. I watch as her attention is brought towards the window.

"No," I try to laugh, but I'm a little nervous. It's been years since I was prepared for an attack, but this girl looks like she could take me in seconds. "So, what is it you're here for?" I ask.

"Kind of a long story," she answers me.

I point to the chair on the other side of my desk. "Why don't you sit down and tell it. I'm not particularly busy, so I've got time."

I watch the girl move gracefully across the room and sit down across from me. She straightens in her chair, her posture incredible for someone who came from the fringe, and begins telling me her story. "I know Chicago has made peace with the government, so they won't harm you, but they will still wage war with those who are from the Fringe; the GDs. We need to stop countless amounts of lives from being taken all for the sake of "pure genes" because we all know that it makes no difference in behavior."

"Why are you coming to me for this?" I ask her. "I'm not the one in charge."

"I came to you because I know you'll help. The government has brought those they believe to be traitors into their compound and tortured them for information. Most of the time, when alleged rebels are brought in, they are in a dying state. All my life I've been one of the two medics who has cared for them and healed them. The government then takes them and tortures them for information. They don't want someone, especially someone genetically damaged, to bring them down. All of my patients have been classified as 'Genetically Damaged'." She tells me.

So she didn't come from the Fringe. I still don't want to get involved with the GDs and the GPs, not after Tris died because of them. I like to forget that there is even that difference and continue on with my life. I don't want to fight for them, not again. So I look the girl in the eyes and tell her, "I'm not interested. I lost someone I loved to this battle. I don't want to lose anyone else."

"I'm not finished," she tells me, resting her hand on my desk. "Two and a half years ago, for the first time in a few lifetimes, a GP was brought to us, good as dead. We saved said GP and now the government has them in their care. Would you care to guess what the crime that was committed was?" she asks me, her voice offering up a challenge.

"What? What did that person do?" I ask. I want to be done with this. Maybe if she went and talked to Johanna about this she would do something, but not me.

The girl looks me dead in the eye, all tiredness gone and replaced by a glimmer of pride. "Does the name 'Beatrice Prior' ring a bell to you?"

My mind goes blank. Tris? How does this girl know that name? I look back at her, stating her down. It's a challenge to see who backs down first.

"The GP brought to me had somehow managed to fight off death serum without a protective suit or an antidote and erased all the minds of the people in the Bureau of Genetic Welfare." She tells me, with a smile.

Tris. She's talking about Tris.

Tris is alive.

Tris.

Is.

Alive.

The idea itself is impossible. I saw her body. I scattered her ashes. Tris, alive?

"How?" I ask, my voice faltering.

"It's like I said, I'm a healer and she was brought to me." The girl says calmly.

"You're lying," I tell her.

"If you would like me to testify under truth serum, I'm all up for it." She says, "But before we go through all that work, why don't I just repeat a message I am told was only given to two people."

"What is that?"

"Tris didn't want to leave you, right?"

She's telling the truth. I know it.

Tris is alive.

"But…"

"The body you saw was a clone to fool you into thinking she was dead, as were the ashes. The real Tris was with me recovering for six months. She gave me a chance to escape so that I may find you and have you help me end all of this insanity."

"It's what she wanted."

"Isn't it what she gave her life for? The government is worse than the Bureau, imagine what they will do. They will kill everyone that has a damaged gene. She never wanted that, remember? You knew her better than I did." She's pleading with me now. "She risked so much so that I could leave and not a day goes by where I haven't forgotten it. She wanted us to work together, I know it."

"I know," I tell her, "Tris did want it." It's true. Tris had given her life so that the people of the Bureau could stop controlling all of us. If the government was worse, then I know Tris would've wanted this.

"So will you help me?" the girl asks.

"Yes,"

She smiles. "I guess it's time to start a rebellion."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys! I am so sorry it has been a while since I've posted. I started this on winter break and now that it is over, my top priorities are school and sleep. I will try to do better, but this month in particular will be very hard to do so, but please have patience with me because I will keep writing whenever I can. Anyways, here's the next chapter and I hope all of you enjoy. Again, thanks for the comments because I really do love hearing from you guys :) **

Chapter Three:

Vivian

Tris was right. There's something about Tobias that is a lot like me. A thought presses into my mind, but I don't pay attention to it. The idea is insane. But still…

Tobias is staring me down and I'm starting to see the resemblance Tris pointed out. The only difference between us is my light blue sliver is in my right eye where as his is in his left. And there's the fact that he is a boy. His hair is short, but not too short. It's short like Spen's is, so military like, I guess. He's the same height as me, though. But for the most part, Tobias and I look identical.

"I don't think I ever got your name." the finally says to me.

"That's because I never told you what it was." I reply casually. "It's Vivian."

"Vivian," he repeats. "No last name?"

"None," I conform. "Vivian isn't even my real name. My parents weren't allowed to name me so that's what the government calls me."

"What about your parent's names?" he asks. Why he would care, I do not know. But I tell him anyway because I need his trust. "I am not allowed to know who my mother is and I'm not allowed to know my father's name either."

"Why not?"

"It's been that way for as long as I can remember." I tell him. "It was the same for my father. The medic family, my family, is allowed to only have one child. They only know the parent who is a medic too, but not their name. They don't date or marry, only reproduce. When they retire, then they learn all of this information. That's the way of life I lived."

"And all you did was healed?" Tobias asks me.

"That is all." I conform. "Not very fun compared to what you have been doing, I believe."

He smirks, "You mean living a lie all your life? Yeah, it's very fun."

I sit back in my seat. We have the same sense of humor; dry and sarcastic. I can tell now that Tobias and I with either be the best of friends or the worst of enemies. That thought worries me, but I don't press it for too long.

"What do you need to do in the city?" he asks me, sitting back in his chair as well.

"I was hoping to gather medicine and maybe even get a few people to come with us." I tell him.

"Where exactly are you planning on going?"

"North," I tell him. "I heard rumors of a nation that may be able to help us. They have and army and supplies. We have nothing. It's worth a try to go up there to ask."

"Basically you're going up north without a plan." Tobias says to me.

"I didn't say I didn't have a plan. I just haven't formed it yet. I'll have one when we get wherever it is we're going." I tell him jokingly. But seriously, I didn't have a plan and was freaking out deep down about it. I was hoping he would be the kind who liked making up plans. So I smile, trying to conceal my emotions, just like I've always done. That skill has gotten better over time.

Tobias doesn't return my smile, so we just sit there staring at each other. I try to figure out what he is thinking, but he's harder to read than my father, who is the best at masking thoughts and emotions.

"Will you stop that?' Tobias asks me, an angry, annoyed look appeared on his face. What is this boy's problem?

"Stop what?" I snap masking the fact I have no idea what he is talking about.

"Staring at me." He snaps back.

"In my defense," I say leaning forward. "You've been staring at me this whole time. It's polite to maintain one's eye contact when talking to someone. It's called manners."

"Oh really," he leans back, "Because it looks to me like you're flirting with me."

I laugh, really hard. "Believe me _Four _but I don't find you that attractive. I have a boyfriend who I have been loyal and faithful to for the past two and a half years. I would like things to stay that way because I love him and I don't want to lose him. Plus, if I was flirting with you, you would know."

"Fine." He says.

"Fine." I say.

"Good." He says.

"Good." I say.

"Will you stop flirting with me?" he shouts.

"I'm not flirting with you!" I shout back. I wish Tris had told me that Tobias was an ass. That might've helped from the start. "Now stop acting like a child because there are more important things to do."

"I'm all ears," he says.

"We'll need to bring others." I say, "Food and supplies as well."

"Who would be good for this?"

"Anyone who can survive." I answer.

Tobias nods, "I know just who to bring."

"Excellent."

"What about supplies?"

"The basics: food, water, cloths, trading items, and medical supplies." I say. "Do you think you can handle all of that?"

"I think its basic enough that I can." He replies sarcastically.

"Just making sure." I snarled. Maybe there wasn't a chance we would be friends after all.

"We should probably go and get ready."

"Agreed," I say, "The sooner we leave, the better."

Tobias gets up and walks towards the door and I follow him out. We walk side by side down the hallway of the building. I was told that this was the old Erudite headquarters on my way in, but because there are also people from the fringe, I don't particularly trust that judgment. People look at Tobias and say hello as he weaves through the crowds of people. When they see me they give me a look of disapproval. I'm fine with that, I don't approve of myself either.

We walk out the doors and down cement steps and onto city streets. I have absolutely no clue where Tobias is taking me, but he knows so I follow him without hesitation.

"Where are we going first?" I ask him, glancing over at him. Once again I'm having trouble reading his face, which is highly irritating to me.

"I need to talk to a friend about all of this. She will most likely come with us." Tobias answers me.

"Okay,"

We get closer to what I think is the Hancock building, but once again, I'm not sure. I watch the building grow in size until we're standing at its base. Tobias opens the lobby door, holding it open for me. I step into the lobby and he follows me. All around me are messages spray painted onto the wall.

"The Dauntless used to do that," Tobias tells me. "Now those words have just lost all meaning."

"Don't all words lose their meaning at one point or another?" I ask him as he leads me towards an elevator. We step into the small space and Tobias presses the button that reads '20', illuminating it. The doors close and we begin our accent. I watch Tobias from the corner of my eye and this time I'm able to read him: he's terrified. I remembered what Tris had told me about him. He was called "Four" because he only had four fears. One of which was claustrophobia the other heights. I decide against saying something because that might not make him too happy and I needed to be on his good side for as long as humanly possible.

Once we reach the 20th floor, Tobias and I step out into the hallway. I follow him down a long, dimly lit hallway. He stops right in front of a door on my left and knocks.

"Who is your friend?" I ask Tobias, crossing my arms over my chest, the way I always did when meeting new people.

"You'll find out soon enough." He answers, half caring. Tobias may be an ass, but I realize that a lot of his hope is resting on the words I have said. It is a good thing I'm not a liar. I need Tobias to believe me and the best way to do that is by telling him what is true, or at least what I believe it to be.

The door opens and before me stands a girl with dark skin and black hair. She's beautiful, with her brown eyes that were suddenly interested in me. Probably thinking Tobias had brought her a new toy, but what did it matter?

"What is it Tobias?" she asks him, looking from him to me.

"Tris is alive."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Four:

Tobias

The second Christina was in the same room as Vivian, she sent her to take a shower with a pile of new cloths for her to wear. Once we heard the sound of running water begin, Christina turns to me, an annoyed look in her eyes. She probably wasn't too happy about me trusting a random stranger when told that my girlfriend was actually alive and not dead like we thought.

"Are you seriously that stupid Four?" she asks. Yup, defiantly annoyed that I trust a random stranger. "What if she is lying and secretly wants to kill you?"

"But what if she's not Christina?" I ask her, "What if she's telling the truth and Tris is really alive?"

"Then I'll be sorry that I didn't trust her. But you don't know her, Tobias. You don't know her motives."

"I'm really good at finding others motives." I argue.

"Not all the time, remember?" she says sadly.

I flinch. I don't need her to remind me about all the times I didn't listen to Tris. When I see her again, if Vivian isn't lying, then I will never do that again. "I have to see though, Christina. You know I have to better than anyone else."

"So you'll put all of your hope into a girl you don't know." Christina says to me. "People crush hopes, so don't give them everything you have because of it."

"She told me that she gave up everything just to find me and help end all of this injustice left in the world." I say defensively.

"You tell me that she saved Tris, but what about what happens after they leave her?"

"Christina, are you thinking that she might've saved Will? If she saved Tris then it isn't impossible."

"I'm not giving her all of my hope either." Christina tells me. "I can't believe that she could've done it, so I won't. At least until I find proof, I can't believe her." She reaches across the table we're sitting at and grabs my hand. "You follow her north and find out for yourself. If what she says is true, send me a message and I'll come without a question. But for now, I can't waste my time on a mission like this because of a girl I don't know."

She squeezes my hand and I look down at her long, brown nimble fingers wrapped around my wrist. She has a point; I do have to go and find out, but I can't expect anyone else to come.

"I'll gather some supplies for you two to take." Christina says getting up. I hear her walking around her apartment, but don't make an effort to follow her. I sit there staring at the ground. Christina is right. Until there is proof, I can never fully trust a word Vivian says. So I won't. I will never trust Vivian. Not until I have a reason to.


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, the fact that I have chosen to write for you people instead of do something productive shows just how much I like you guys. Anyway, if I fail any classes this semester, I am blaming all of you. Well, here you go. I'm going to try something new for the next chapter. I have been planing on it for a while, but I think it might be cool if it comes earlier. Please keep reviewing because I really do enjoy that. Enjoy chapter 5! P.S. the quote Vivian's father says later on is from "Angel With a Shotgun" by The Cab. Just thought you should know.**

Chapter Five:

Vivian

Will.

I remember that name.

Will.

It was after the Dauntless were put under the Erudite's control. My father was sent into Chicago to help whoever may have still been alive. He brought back a boy who suffered from a bullet to the head. My father told me that he may never wake up, but because he wasn't dead, we still had to help him. Every now and then I would see his eyelids flutter, or his fingers twitch. Those small movements told me that there was life behind the dead body.

I remember asking my father why we never just let him go. It would've been the best thing for him.

"It isn't our choice to make, Vivian." He had told me. "It is always the choice of the loved ones to make."

"Aren't we the closest thing he has to loved ones?"

"Yes, but our superiors don't see it that way."

I remember talking to him every day. I would tell him stories that I had read. I told him of life in here. I never knew if he really did hear me, but it never mattered. In the end, some things never do matter like we think. I think of Will in his bed of the infirmary. He was placed into a special room, one separate from the rest. I wonder if he will ever wake up, or if he already had. I never told Tris about Will because I couldn't bear the thought of her giving up all her hope over him. But standing here now, I wish I had. She was a loved one. His life was a choice she should've made.

I look at myself in the mirror. Christina had given me a pair of cloths similar to the ones I always wore: black pants, black shirt, a black leather jacket, and a pair of black boots that laced up to my calf. I look wild. My hair was thicker at its long length and it was also curlier. My face looked fiercer, but also sadder. I had a long scar along my face, starting at my forehead and ending at my cheek. I look like someone who shouldn't be messed with. But my eyes ruined the image. Though they are dark and scary looking, there is also the same hint of sadness that my father always wore. It was like I had seen way too much and time had taken its toll. The worst part was that I was barley twenty.

I don't think Tobias and Christina knew I was listening in, but I heard every word they had said. Only Tobias would be coming with me, and I was scared. Tobias didn't trust me, and I had learned the hard way not to trust anyone, so frankly I didn't trust him either. We were treading in the same water, but that might not be a good thing.

I open the bathroom door and step out. Christina is moving about in the small space packing backpacks full with food and other supplies. Tobias is sitting on a couch, looking at his folded hands. Walk towards him, stopping ten feet away.

"We should head out," I say. "It's not going to be daylight forever and the fringe isn't the best place to be in the dead of night, so I would prefer to be miles away from the nearest group of civilization."

Tobias looks at me, his eyes trying to read me live I've been trying to read him. I don't give him anything to read other than the fact that I don't trust him.

"You're probably right." Tobias says standing up. "You've actually lived in the fringe when I haven't."

We move towards the front door, taking the backpacks that Christina offers us. Before we leave the room, I decide to tell her the truth. "My father was brought here when the Dauntless were put under the stimulation. He brought back only one person who was alive. A boy named Will who was shot in the head. He's been in a coma ever since."

Then I walk out into the hallway, not wanting to see her reaction to my words. I hear Tobias say goodbye and follow me. We walk in silence for a while, leaving the same way we came. It was a long time later, as we walked down numerous streets that he finally spoke up.

"Is Will really alive?" Tobias asks me.

"Yes, but he is suffering though a fate that is worse than death. I feel sorry for the poor boy."

"I didn't think it was possible for someone to survive being shot in the head." Tobias says in wonder.

"It isn't impossible," I say, "Brains send signals throughout the body, but it doesn't always cause you to die. If all the signals are destroyed, then your heart will stop, but if part of your brain still works, you can still live."

"Where was Tris shot?" he asks.

"Three shots to her leg, on to her chest. The bullet was just below her heart."

"Because she wasn't shot in the heart…" Tobias starts.

"…she didn't die." I finish. I glance at the buildings around me, thinking of a time when everyone had only one characteristic that they followed. "Tris recovered at amazing speed. She was better than ever by the time she left my care." I told him. I realize that I'm talking like a doctor, but I don't really care anymore.

"And you saved her."

"And I saved her."

"Have you really spent your whole life locked in one part of a building?" Tobias asks me.

"Yes," I answer. "I have known nothing other than that. At least until Tris got me out." I tell him.

"How did she do that?"

"She caused a prison break and I ran. I snuck out under a gate when everyone was dealing with her. I never got the chance to thank her for my freedom, so I've dedicated every day of my life making sure she knows that I haven't wasted her sacrifice yet. I have to get her out."

"Does she trust you?"

"Enough to give me a chance at bringing down this damned government." I say. "No matter what kind of power you have, it does not give you the right to kill innocent people who are no different than you."

"You really believe in this, don't you?"

"My father used to say, 'before you go to war, you've got to know what it is exactly you're fighting for.' I never did figure out who he was quoting, but I live by it. I know I'm fighting for the people that no one else is fighting for and that is good enough for me. No one else needs to die for equality. It has been one of the biggest wars throughout humanity. Hundreds of years ago, the fight for equality was between white people and colored. Whites believed the same things that the GPs do. They believed that the other was a danger to humanity just because the other was different."

"So all of this," Tobias says, "It's nothing new."

"No, only the reason has changed, but one group will always think that they are better than the other. It's just the way of life."

"You really do know what you're fighting for." Tobias points out.

I smile a little. "Someone has to fight for the underdogs. It might as well be an underdog."

Tobias and I don't say anymore, but I can feel a barrier of trust forming between us. It's not much, but it's a start.


	10. Chapter 10

**And here is where I experimented. Larkin and Tris won't have as much story time as Tobias and Vivian, but it is fun to add them every now and then. **

Chapter Six:

Larkin

"I am almost positive you are a robot at this point in life, Tris." I tell her as we walk back from her daily torture. There is a better name for it; I just don't see the point in using it because we all know what happens the second you enter that room.

Tris smiles at me, "What if I am Larkin? What would you do?"

"Probably run around yelling, 'my best friend isn't human what are you going to do about that?'"

"It would explain a lot though, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, like how you are able to resist the fear serum." I tell her as we walk down the hallway to her cell. "It is humanly impossible to resist that stuff. Believe me, I've tried."

"Let me guess, Spen injected you with that stuff."

I shudder, "It was not good. We were horsing around a while back, and somewhere in his dark, twisted mind, he decided to inject me. I've never been the same since."

"What exactly did you see?" Tris asks. In the past two years I have trusted her with so much, she could easily betray me. But she has trusted me too. I could go and tell the right people what her fears are and then resisting serums wouldn't be so easy. But I haven't betrayed her just like she hasn't betrayed me. That was why she was my friend.

"I saw myself becoming the monster they want me to be." I tell her. The Black Hawks, in which I am a member of, drill it into your head to show no mercy and that there is only one type of person suitable to live on this earth. Vivian had drilled it into my head that the only thing that makes a man evil is the motives in his heart, not the form of his genes.

"I always see Tobias finding out that I'm dead and killing himself to get to me. I always call out, telling him not to and that I'm alive and well, but he never hears me." Tris tells me. She really loves Tobias, and over time I've watched that love grow stronger. I've heard people tell me that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and watching Tris, I know it to be true. Plus, I've felt it myself.

"Do you think she found him?" I ask Tris. We don't even have to ask who the other is talking about. Tobias is referred to "him" and Vivian is referred to as "her". It was just the way things had become between us.

"It's possible. Who knows how far she's gotten out there." Tris answers. I see her glance over at me. "You miss her don't you?"

"Yes," I answer. "I need to know if she's okay. You know how dangerous the fringe is and she went there unarmed."

"I strongly believe Vivian made it through. She may not have the physicality to do it, but she does have the wits. Vivian is okay, I know it."

We stop at her cell and I unlock the door. Tris willingly walks in. I know her routine: once I'm gone she sits on her bed and cries herself to sleep. I will bring her food that she half eats and she lies awake, thinking about what is going on in the world outside. I nod to her as I shut her cell to give her the privacy she wants.

I go to see Vivian's father, as I always do. He sits at his desk, staring at her file, as he always does. He misses her most of all. I wish I could argue with that, but no one could beat his love for his daughter. He has turned into a hollow shell that breaks my heart. Vivian always told me that she was scared she was going to lose him. I'm now scared that he won't make it to the reunion we'll have with her.

"How are you feeling, Abraham?" I ask. When I joined the Black Hawks I was given what his real name was; the one the government had picked out.

"Like I'm dying, Larkin." Abraham answers me halfheartedly.

"Has it gotten any worse?"

Abraham looks at me. In the past two years, Abraham's hair had turned all grey and his brown eyes had lost all of their light. Abraham had told me that he has cancer, one that could not be cured, and he was slowly dying. If Abraham couldn't heal himself, then there was no hope. So all I could do was try to fill part of the gap Vivian had left. Neither of us blamed her for leaving, but she took part of us with her when she ran into the night.

"I don't even know anymore, Larkin. But I'm not dead yet, which is a good thing, isn't it?" he returns to the file, looking at the picture of Vivian that is there. I look at it too, missing her a little more than I just did.

"Have you learned anything new about her whereabouts?" Abraham asks me.

I shake my head. "Her tracker goes on and off. Sometimes we can pinpoint her location, others we have no idea where she is."

Abraham nods. "Now if you excuse me, I want to be alone."

I grant his request and leave the room. I wander to the Black Hawks headquarters where I watch the people go around their daily lives because of the trackers we've injected. I watch Tris pace her room and Abraham sit and wait for his daughter to return. It isn't until I hear all the commotion in the room do I notice on the map of the United States is a name that shouldn't be there: Vivian.

"They found her." I say out loud.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Seven:

Tobias

I had found a bunch of gas tanks, full of gas, and had put them in the back of the pickup truck I am now driving. Vivian had fallen asleep in the passenger seat beside me as we left the city. I listen to the sound of her breathing and take comfort in the fact that I wasn't alone. Something happened once we had left Christina's apartment between us. Vivian and I may not trust the other to not be backstabbers, but I can trust her to stab me in the front so that I can see her doing it, and she trusts me to do the same.

The old, ruin cities around us just keep going. I think of Tris and how we came out here looking to find answers to why we were needed. Instead I was told I was damaged and I lost Tris. I wasn't particularly fond of this place, but I guess it didn't matter now because we weren't staying.

Vivian had told me to go as straight as I can, and that she would take over when it got dark. She knew this place better than I did. I glance over at the sleeping girl. She looks peaceful and timeless when she isn't awake. When she's awake, she's trying to find answers to all of life's questions and is always moving. But in sleep, she is off in her own world, one no one may ever get to. I would never admit it to anyone, but she's almost beautiful like this. Rays of the setting sun streak her face, turning it to gold and lighting her brown hair to red fire. Lost in my own mind, I begin to wonder what she's dreaming about, but then I dismiss this thought and return my focus to the road.

I think about all the ways Christina has told everyone that I was leaving and wouldn't be back for a while. Evelyn and I were just beginning to build back our relationship and now I ran off with a girl I don't even know. What will she even think?

I glance over at Vivian again and this time she's awake. I see her looking out the window at the passing world. Sitting with her now I realize that she has a since of innocence that not a lot of people had at her age. She looks at the world with this wide eyed wonder that I can't help but admire.

Vivian looks at me, "Tobias, I know I'm very attractive, but please stop hitting on me. It's really annoying." She says to me sarcastically.

I laugh, "Two can play this game, huh?"

"I guess so." Vivian sits up and looks around. "We just have to keep going north. It's our best bet."

"Okay,"

"Do you want me to take over? It's going to be a long night and you'll need your sleep." She asks me. I nod and stop the truck. We get out and trade places. I expect Vivian to be a terrible driver, but the truck starts with an easy grace that I wasn't expecting.

"How did you learn to drive?" I ask her.

"When you live in the fringe, you learn or die. I had to make a few getaways in my life."

"Well, we're not dead yet so I hand it to you."

Vivian smiles sadly, "Get some sleep Tobias."

I obediently close my eyes, drifting off to sleep. I dream of Tris that night. I am in the weapons lab with her this time. I watch her as she is shot: three times to her leg and once to her chest. I call out to her as she falls to the ground. I try to run to her, but the bullets are hitting me now. I try to reach for her, but she's already gone.

I wake up with a start and realize that we are actually being shot at.

"Shit!" I hear Vivian yell as she struggles to maintain hold of the truck. Bullets hit the window, shattering the window. Vivian covers her head as the glass falls over her. "How did they find me?" I hear her yell.

"Who?" I yell back as Vivian gets out of the truck. I follow her and we run off into the night, trying to doge bullets as they come after us. Together, we weave through broken down buildings and dark allies.

We turn a corner and are stopped by a man with a gun. Vivian backs up slowly. "Well Vi, I didn't know you liked running around with boys." He says to her.

"Oh come on Jack, we both know I'm not the one sleeping with everyone in the compound." She says to him viciously. I can tell that there is some bad blood between the two, but I don't have time to figure it out because Vivian is running now. I run after her, but I feel a pain in my shoulder. Jack shot me.

I cry out and Vivian looks back. I feel her take my hand, dragging me along behind her. "Hang in there, Tobias!" I hear her cry out. I willingly follow her. I'd rather trust her than anyone else here. She is about to turn a corner when someone grabs her. She begins to scream, but a hand covers her mouth. She and I are pulled behind a tarp. I look over and see a dark haired boy telling us to be quiet. Vivian's eyes widened and she gasped, "Larkin?"

"Shh," he tells her, "I need you to be quiet."

"How did you find me?" she asks.

"Your tracker is messed up. Sometimes we can find you, other times we can't."

"I thought I destroyed it a long time ago."

"Not completely. I had to come and see if you're okay." Larkin tells her, reaching out to hold her arms.

"I'm fine, at least until now." Vivian answers. "What about you? Tris my father-"

"All fine. I'm a Black Hawk now. Tris is still tough as nails. Your father though…" Larkin breathes, "He's sick and misses you like hell."

"What do you mean? What's wrong with him?"

"I don't have time to explain, but you need to get out of here." Larkin pulls out two guns and hands them to us. "I'll cover you, but I can't hold them off for long."

Vivian takes the gun and at the last second kisses him. "Please be careful." She says.

"You too," Larkin says. We watch him run off into the night. Vivian looks down at her gun. I watch her hand it to me as she pulls out a knife from her belt loop. She takes off her jacket and presses her arm until she finds a spot. I watch her drag the knife into her skin.

"What the hell are you doing?" I ask her. She doesn't pay me any attention as she keeps moving the knife along her arm. Blood begins to pool around her wrist, but she doesn't stop. She sets down the knife and I watch her reach into her arm and pull out what looks to be a tube and she sets in on the ground. She takes the gun from me and shoots the tracker. I look from the smoking tracker to her and notice that she has gone scary pale with sweat shining her skin. The amount of blood loss is getting worse and I watch her as her eyes roll back into her head as she slumps against me.

"Vivian," I try to shake her, but she doesn't wake up. "Vivian!"

There's not a lot I can do, but we do have to get out of here, so I sling Vivian over my shoulder, taking her gun as well as mine, and sneaking off into the night. I lurk in the shadows, trying to find anywhere to hide. I feel her blood, as well as my own, trickling down my back. I hear Vivian groan as she bumps against my shoulder. I keep scanning, searching for something, anything. Then I hear a small boy.

"Mister," he whispers to me from a doorway. I stop and look at him. He waves me towards him. "You can hide in here." He says.

Two things can really happen here. The first is that he helps me and Vivian and the second is that he tries to kill us or gets the soldiers attention. I feel Vivian's blood and realize that I have to take a risk. So I follow the boy inside and watch him as he locks the door behind us.

"Lay your friend on the table," I hear a girl say to me, and I do what I am told, gently draping Vivian onto a long table. I see a girl about 14 begin to clean Vivian's wound. I watch her nimble hands as she patches her arm.

The boy touches my arm as my vision begins to blacken. "Are you okay?" he asks me, but I barley hear him.

"Cylus lay him on the couch." The girl says.

The boy drags me to a couch and I lay down. The second my head hits the cousins I lose consciousness.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Eight:

Vivian

I sit and tend to Tobias's shoulder. He hadn't lost a lot of blood, not as much as me anyway, so he was able to wait until I had woken up to be healed. I had to cut away his shit, which lay in a bloody heap at my feet, so my hands worked gently over his bare back. I had cleaned his wound and removed the bullet. Now I was patching him up. He must've felt something because he woke with a groan.

He looks around for a few seconds then his eyes find mine. "Dammit Vivian, you seriously tried to make a move on me while I was sleeping? It's not a good thing to remove someone else's cloths when they're unconscious. I have no trust in you when you say 'I'm not hitting on you' at this point in time."

At some point this had just become a joke between us and I don't know when or how. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself." I say sarcastically. "Medics are always so drawn to wounds that I couldn't help tearing off your shirt and bandaging your wounds. I really hope your girlfriend doesn't mind."

He smiles a little. "Good to know you're okay then."

"I personally don't cut myself in general, but I can't have them following us as we continue our journey." I explain.

Tobias nods, "No need to explain, I understand perfectly." He sighs, sitting up. "Was Larkin telling the truth? Is Tris seriously alive?" he asks, his tone growing serious.

"I know you the type of person who could have every person in the world telling you one thing, but you wouldn't believe them unless you have proof. So I will tell you this again, Tris is alive and Larkin said she was okay." I tell him. "I don't blame you for not trusting me, but I will prove it to you one day and when that day comes I hope you can trust me as a person. I have no reason to lie to you and if I ever tell you a lie, it is because what I knew and believed to be true actually wasn't. Are we clear on that much?"

"Yes," Tobias says.

"Good."

"So Larkin's your boyfriend." Tobias says.

I nod, "Yes, he is."

"That was nice of him to give us guns and help us escape."

"Wouldn't you have done the same if it was Tris in that position instead of me? Because I would've." I sigh, "I kind of corrupted Larkin a long time ago so that he realized who was right and who was wrong in all of this. He's kind of a spy, I a way I guess."

"Which is why he wouldn't harm us," Tobias concludes.

"That, and he is a GD. Most of his family is that way; they're just really good at resisting serums. Larkin's older brother Spen is the only GP in their family. I agreed with the Hemmingway's that their secret would never be told, not even to Spen."

"That must be hard, forcing yourself to resist serums all the time. I'm a GD and it just comes naturally to me."

"That's what Tris told me," I say, "But yes, they have to or they'll risk exile or even death,"

I look around at the room. It is small, with a bunch of useless items lining the floor. The red wall paper was falling off and ceiling tiles had fallen down. I sit on a stool beside the ragged brown couch. There were tears in the cushions and no legs at the bottom. A shaggy rug that may have been white once, stretches out over the ground; a typical fringe home.

I rub my arm, feeling the bandage and the faint throbbing. It didn't hurt that much, but I had busted an artery which had really concerned me. When I had woken up, the girl, Maia, and I had token off my bandage and repaired my arm again. After that adventure, I passed out on the table. When I woke up, I came over to help repair Tobias. Maia wasn't a bad medic, I had noticed, but she still had much to learn.

"How's your arm?" Tobias asks, following my movements.

"Throbbing, but it doesn't hurt that much actually." I tell him. "How's your shoulder?"

"It hurts, but it could be worse."

"I would've done a better job had I had better supplies." I tell him.

"I think you did a great job, but getting shot hurts."

I snort, "Tell me about it."

I hear footsteps and we both look over. Standing in the hallway are Maia and Cylus. Maia is holding a tray of food and cautiously brings it towards us. "I made you two breakfast." She says, putting the tray down on the couch beside Tobias. She backs us and stands protectively in front of her brother. They look similar, with their dirty blonde hair and soft brown eyes. Maia is thinner than Cylus, like she makes sure he is fed before she is.

"Thank you, Maia and Cylus." I tell them.

I see Cylus, who was hiding behind Maia, step towards me. Maia tries to hold him back, but he keeps going until he's standing right in front of me. "Miss," he says to me. "We have a sister who is really sick and-"

"Shush Cylus," Maia scolds.

I look up at her, "It's okay, really." I turn my focus back down to Cylus. "Your sister is sick?" he nods. "Because you helped us, I will help you. Will you take me to her?" Cylus nods and takes my hand, pulling me up a flight of stairs. I hear Tobias and Maia follow close behind. "You don't have to come, Tobias. It'll probably be really boring."

"You don't need to leave my sight." He says. I don't understand why he would say something like that, but I dismiss is and follow Cylus into a room. There is nothing in it except a bed with a sleeping girl on it.

"Will you help her?" Cylus asks me.

"I will try." I answer walking towards the bed. The girl laying on it is very pale, with beads of sweat forming on her head. I touch it and almost burn my hand. I look over to Maia. "Will you bring me cold water and a cloth? I have to break her fever."

Maia nods and leaves the room. I return my attention to the girl. During my time in the fringe I had learned to be a doctor without all of the fancy supplies. Of course I am more accurate with them, but I can do pretty well without. I take her wrist and check her pulse. It takes a moment to find it, but when I do it is slow and faint.

"Cylus," I say looking at him.

"Yes Miss?"

"I want you tell me what her symptoms are." I say. "Does she throw up?"

"She throws up everything we give her and she even coughs up blood." Cylus tells me.

"Is there anything else?"

"I don't know, Maia doesn't normally let me in here. She doesn't want me to get sick like Emily."

Maia returns with a pale of iced water and a cloth. I dip the cloth into the water and lay it on Emily's head. "Maia, are you good at finding plants?" I ask her.

"Yes, I love plants."

I ask for a piece of paper and a moment later I am writing a list of plants I need to make a medicine. I hand it to Maia. "I need you to bring me these. Take Tobias with you for protection."

Maia and Tobias leave the room. I sit with Emily and try to draw down her fever.

"Will she be okay?" Cylus asks me.

My best guess is that Emily has Scarlet Fever. The last time I had helped someone with it, I was successful, so I wasn't too worried. "Yeah, she'll be okay."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Nine:

Tobias

Maia and I walk throughout the fringe looking for the plants Vivian gave us. The Black Hawks had retreated, probably thinking Vivian was dead after shooting her tracker. I carry my gun in my right hand, though shooting would hurt because of my shoulder. Maia walks silently beside me. I tried to talk to her, but she didn't want to, so I dropped it. I just watch her pluck plants out of the ground and put them into a basket. She leads me towards a meadow and continues on there. I stand guard as she does what she knows how to do.

"I think its sweet how you carried your sister out of there. It was very brave of you." Maia tells me at one point.

I look at her. "Who Vivian? She's not my sister." I say.

"My apologizes," Maia says looking at me. "You two just look like you are related. You have the same face and everything, I just assumed."

"It's okay," I answer. Do Vivian and I really look that much alike? I dismiss the thought. Other than Marcus and Evelyn I have no other family. There is no way that it is possible. Is there? "You seem to really love Cylus and Emily." I tell her.

"They're all I have. I have to protect them because if I won't, who will?" Maia says to me.

I think of Tris and Caleb. Tris loved him so much that even after he had betrayed her, she was still willing to take his place and die. Maia seems the same way. She loves her siblings. I wonder what that love is like.

"I don't really know much about family love." I tell her, "So I don't really know."

"Maybe, but I did see that kind of love in you last night. You could've left Vivian for dead, but you carried her to safety." Maia points out.

"She's an ally, not even a friend." I tell her. "She's helping me and I'm helping her. There is no love involved in it at all."

"Say what you will, but I know love when I see it."

Maia and I didn't say anything on our way back. She takes me through the front door and I watch her as she takes the basket upstairs for her sister. I sit down on the couch thinking of what it would be like to have someone love me that much. The love I have for Tris is different than the love of a family.

* * *

A few hours later Vivian comes and sits down beside me. She doesn't say anything and neither do I. I feel Vivian's hair tickle my arm, but I don't push it away. I may not know her that well, but sitting with her like this feels almost natural. I look up at her and realize that she could be my sister. She looks like me.

"Cylus told me that I have the best brother in the world and that he would've carried Emily or Maia if he was in our position." She tells me.

I smirk, "Maia thought you were my sister too."

"Do we really look that much alike that people are thinking we're related?"

"I've never had a sister," I tell her.

"I've never had a brother. Or even a mom. All I've had was my father." Vivian tells me.

"My father abused my mother and I. She ended up faking her own death. Now I have no contact with him and my mother and I are in the process of trying to rebuild our relationship."

"I never knew my mother. I only had my dad. He is my best friend and my mentor. Larkin told me he is sick, and I'm not there to help him. So of course, Worst Daughter of the Year goes to me." She says sadly.

"How does wanting freedom make you a terrible daughter? Vivian, you had a choice and you made it."

"But I left him behind. I left Larkin behind. I left Tris behind. I left everyone I love at the hands of people who will kill them because I decided to leave. If they die, it will be because of me."

"What if they live because you led a rebellion, Vivian? What if they lived because you fought for what you believed in?"

Vivian doesn't say anything. She stares at the ground silently. Once again, I wish I knew what she was thinking. I wished I could follow her into her mind. It was probably peaceful and beautiful there.

"You know," Vivian says looking at me again, "For two people who hate each other, we sure do act like we love each other."

And she's right. We do act like we love each other. And maybe we do. Maybe two broken people can love each other better than anyone else. I realize then that you can love someone. Not in a romantic way. Not in the way I love Tris and she loves Larkin. But in the way I love Christina. In the way Maia loves Emily and Cylus. In the way Tris loves Caleb. Maybe I can love Vivian in that way too.


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay guys, not that I do not enjoy doing this stuff (writing is my life and I hate stopping and taking breaks) but this might be the last chapter I have for a while. The end of the semester is coming up for me which means I need to focus on school. But I promise to post when ever I get the chance. Anyway, I have a question for you guys: if I posted an original story somewhere out** there** on the world wide web, would anyone read it? If you would, message me and I'll post it just for you :) Anyway, I wrote so many chapters this weekend to prepare you for the fact that I won't be on as much. Again, I am super sorry about that and I hate it so much, but for this very moment school has to be my top priority ***sobbing terribly on the inside because I love you all and don't want to leave you for a while*** But enough about me, here is my last chapter for tonight.**

Chapter Ten:

Vivian

Just as I predicted, Emily recovered at a surprising rate. It only took a week to do so. Tobias had rescued our gas cans and backpacks from the truck before anyone else could get to them. We were trying to find a new way for transportation up north. Like I had always done, I had traded healing Lilly for shelter for Tobias and I. But now our time was coming to leave.

The night before our departure, Tobias and I sit on the couch discussing what to do next. We were somewhere near Detroit, or at least that is what I've been told.

"How far up north are we going to go?" Tobias asks me.

"There's another country, a few days drive from here. That is where I'm planning on going. I heard that they are threatening war because a few of their royals were kidnapped about twenty years ago. I guess our government did it, but won't return them." I explain. "If I can speak to their leader, then maybe I can convince them to fight for the fringe people, and overthrow our government."

"I admire your optimism, Vivian. Keep it up and maybe we will be able to end all of this." He tells me and I don't know if he's joking or not so I just stare at him. "What is the name of the country we're heading to?"

"I don't know if they had changed it at all over time, but it was once called Canada. The people up there were almost always peaceful, but times change. In other words I don't know what to expect."

"Where in Canada?" Tobias asks.

"Wherever the royals are." I tell him. "Which in other words means anywhere."

"I think we could find it." Tobias says. "You know, if you lead the way and I laugh at you whenever you mess up."

"Some friend you are," I grumble.

"Friend? We're not friends, remember?"

"Oh right," I say to him. "We're arch enemies forced to save the world together." Tobias and I don't directly say it to each other, but we actually are friends. We still don't act like it all the time, but he's the closest friend I have. But he is still an ass.

We look at each other and smile. Tobias and I make a good team, I will admit that. Just two days ago we were walking through the fringe trying to find a truck he could hardwire when we got stuck in a fight. Somehow, back to back, we got out of there. He had my back and I had his. Though, I wasn't used to using a gun that much. He took me out into the meadow later that day and taught me how to shoot. Then he cut himself badly, so I taught him how to stich someone up.

Little by little, he was teaching me how to be a fighter and little by little I was teaching him how to be a healer. It was strange really. He was so destructive and I was so constructive. It was like we were two sides of the same coin.

We were half of the other.

* * *

Just hours before sunrise, Tobias and I said our goodbyes to Maia, Cylus, and Emily and took off into the night. We had found a truck that was about a mile away so we used an old wagon and pulled our supplies over there. Once at the truck I began loading it and Tobias began his job of hardwiring it. Soon enough we were sitting side by side watching Detroit go by.

"How long do you think it'll take us to get to Canada?" Tobias asks me as the sun begins to rise in the east.

"Two, three days probably." I answer staring out the window.

"What will we do when we get there?"

I look over at him. His face is streaked with rays of golden sunlight. I had never found any other man besides Larkin to be attractive, but the way Tobias was now, it made me think that I will always find men who I think are beautiful, but that doesn't mean I'm attracted to them. And that was how I felt now. Tobias looked beautiful, yet I didn't want him. It wasn't because he was off limits, but because I didn't feel an attraction to him.

"Can we please worry about getting there before we worry about what we're going to say?"

* * *

Towards the end of the day, Tobias and I decided to camp at a lake. We climbed out of the truck and looked at the glistening water from the setting sun. I didn't know how to swim, but suddenly I felt the urge to. I walked over to the shore of the lake, where the water met old sand.

"Vivian, what are you doing?" Tobias asks me.

I look over my shoulder at him. "Do you know how to swim?" I ask him as he approaches me.

"Kind of," he says.

"Let's go swimming." I tell him. Before he can answer I am already taking off my jacket and my boots, tossing them onto the shore. I walk into the water carefully. It's warm and feels nice against my skin. I wade out further into the water until it's up to my chest. I turn to look at Tobias who is watching me on the shore. I reach out my hand towards him. "Come join me." I call out.

He stares at me for a moment, probably deciding if he wants to trust me or not. He bends over and unties his shoes, placing them beside mine. Gracefully, he takes off his shirt, revealing a tattoo of flames on his side. He steps towards the water and wades in after me. Soon enough, he's right in front of me again.

"You don't know how to swim, do you?" he asks me.

I shake my head, "No, but I'm a fast learner."

"Do you trust me?" he asks. Only days ago if he had asked this question I would've said no. But standing with him here in the water, I did. He had opened up to me and told me the parts of him no one else was allowed to see and I had done the same. I had told him things Larkin doesn't even know. I had trust him to protect me like he trusts me to protect him. I realize that this wasn't a few days ago. This was now. And now, in this moment, I trusted this boy with my life.

So I look Tobias in his dark blue eyes and say, "Yes,"

"Lie on your back," he tells me.

I feel his hand on my back as he helps me lie on top of the water. His hands slip to my arms and hold me there. I'm not scared of drowning, because I know he wouldn't let me. "I want you to start kicking, but do it gently." Tobias instructs. Once an instructor, always an instructor. But I do as he tells me, slowly kicking my legs in the water. Before I know it, Tobias has let go and it's just me, floating in the water.

I realize why people enjoy swimming. It's a way to feel free.

"Now try doing that face down. But be sure to hold your breath."

I roll over and open my eyes. The water stings them a little, but the world below me is too incredible for me to care. I can see plants and small fish swimming around. Through the blur of the water I hear Tobias tell me to use my arms to propel me. I lift my head out of the water long enough to take a breath, then do what he tells me. My movements are far from graceful, but I'm swimming. I realize that Tobias is two. We swim further out and dive down as far as we can before we have to come up for air. On the surface of the water again, he begins splashing me and I return the favor. We squeal like kids as we use water to fight each other. I don't realize that we have gotten closer to each other until we're pulled into each other's arms. I don't know who did it first, and I really don't care, but there we are in the water holding tightly onto one another.

We pull away, but it isn't awkward. I smile at him and he smiles at me. We simultaneously decided on racing each other back to shore and the next thing I knew we were sitting side by side on dry land watching the last rays of the sun go down.

"I think it's safe to say that we're friends now." Tobias says to me.

I look at him. "No, we're more than that." I tell him. I laugh at the startled look he has on his face. "We're family."

I feel him take my hand and hold it tightly. "Is it even possible to have a sister who isn't related to you?"

"Yes, Tobias, it is." I kiss his cheek, a sisterly gesture towards her brother. "I'm glad that you're my brother, even if we're not related." I lean my head onto his shoulder and he leans his head onto mine. Sitting there, all our walls were broken down to let the other in. And I was truly happy.

**I wrote this last part to "Swimming" by Hans Zimmer for anyone who wants to know. Sorry, but I had to write a scene like that. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Annnnnnnnnnnnnnd I'm back, but for tonight only. I finished a huge assignment for English so why not write a chapter to celebrate? I may or may not be back on Friday, but we'll see. I'm so glad that you guys are enjoying this so please keep sharing your thoughts and ideas (really, if any of you have an idea for a chapter, I will take them into account and find a way to warp them in because I find that quite enjoyable) and I'll just shut up now and let you read... but out of curiosity who actually reads my notes at the beginning? Okay, I'm done, enjoy.**

Chapter Eleven:

Tobias

Out of all the ways to end this night, running for our lives wasn't what we had planned. Vivian and I were separated many times and then reunited shortly. I didn't know what was chasing us, but I had a feeling that I didn't want to know. I could rear gun shots in the distance, but I focused on running though the dark night.

"Ugh, why do they keep finding us?!" I hear Vivian yell frustrated.

"Your tracker?" I ask looking over at her.

"No, we just ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. They're probably just on fringe patrol and we became the targets." She calls back, "Once we cross the border, we'll be safe from them."

"But we still don't know what's on the other side," I say.

"We still don't know what's on the other side," Vivian agrees.

"So what do we do?"

"Run," she says obviously.

So we keep running from the group of Black Hawks behind us. Up ahead I notice the lights of a nearby city, the fringe probably, and I pick up my pace, racing towards a safe haven. The guns keep going off behind us and it isn't until I'm halfway under a metal arch in front of the city do I hear Vivian's terrifying scream. "Tobias!" I turn to see if she was hurt, but the arch falls down almost on top of me. I dive out of the way, but my legs get caught underneath the metal and I'm trapped. I hear the group of soldiers come closer and I know in that moment I have to play dead, so I lay my head down and act like all the life had left me.

I hear them pass and someone assumes that I'm dead. "Leave him," I hear him say, "If he isn't dead, he will be soon. Find the girl,"

I wait until their footsteps subside until I begin my struggle to free myself. They want Vivian, so I have to find her before they do. My legs are too pinned for me to get anywhere and the pain blackens my vision and I scream. The more I move the more pain there is, but I have to find Vivian.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and a boy's voice try to calm me, "Hey, try not to struggle, you'll make it worse." I collapse to the ground and pant heavily, trying to regain my strength.

"Tobias, I need you to remain calm," I hear her. Vivian. She's okay. I almost cry out with relief. "We need to move these pieces off of him." Vivian tells the boy.

"You take his left and I got the right." The boy says.

"Tobias, listen to me. When I tell you to crawl out, I want to begin crawling. We've got the metal pieces, okay?" Vivian coaches me.

I groan something that sounds similar to "okay" but I'm not sure what.

"You ready Dawson?" Vivian says to the boy.

"On three: one…two…three!"

I feel the weight of one metal bar come off of me, but there are still more left. I hear the boy, Dawson, command Vivian to lift once more. The two work like this until I hear Vivian call to me to start crawling. And I obey, making small movements out towards freedom. Vivian is calling to me, but I don't make out any of her words.

I roll onto my back, once I am free of all the metal bars and stare up at the night sky. Vivian's face appears in my vision, but I am already beginning to black out. I feel two sets of arms under my shoulders just as my vision goes black.

* * *

I regain consciousness for a few short seconds. I feel my arms wrapped around shoulders as I am dragged through the fringe. I've lost all feeling in my legs and that worries me a little, but I know in my heart that Vivian won't let it get that bad.

"Those men were really after you?" Dawson asks curiously.

"Yes, but I just so happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They didn't find me on purpose." Vivian answers him.

"You must've broken one hell of a law." Dawson says to her.

"You don't even know the half of it."

* * *

I wake up the final time in a bed in what looks to be a hospital. I sit up slowly and look around. Vivian sits beside me and two boys are standing on the other side of my bed. One of them is a blonde with bright blue eyes and for a moment I am reminded of Tris and my heart yearns for her. He is tall and muscular, like every Dauntless boy I knew. The other boy is a brunette, like Vivian and I, but he's bulkier and broader than the both of us. His eyes are dark with a look of superiority in them.

Vivian touches my shoulder, "How are you feeling?" she asks me.

"Like both of my legs are broken," I tell her,

"Actually, only one of your legs is broken. The other had some shrapnel removed, but you'll be fine." Says the brunette boy to me.

I look a Vivian, who wears an annoyed expression. She's the real doctor here and we all know it. "Thank you Doctor Indigo." She says to him, "Is there anything else you'd like to report?"

The two share a sour look for a long moment. The other boy must see it too because he speaks up before anyone else can. "Let me introduce myself, my name is Dawson Hall and my friend here is Prince Indigo Williamson."

"You're a prince?" I ask him,

"And you're a GD." He says cruelly. I don't like this boy and it's obvious that Vivian doesn't either.

"They are from Canada, which is where we need to go, Tobias." Vivian tells me, but the look in her eyes says that if we don't get on their good sides, we'll have to walk the rest of the way. And at this very moment I wasn't fit to walk.

So I look up at the prince and say, "It's an honor to meet you."

The prince nods then walks out of the room. Dawson turns to follow. "I trust Vivian is the best hands I can leave you in. I'll come back later and check on you."

Vivian stares at the tiles on the floor for a while, lost in her own mind again. "How did you find him?" I ask,

"I was running and he pulled me into an ally until the Hawks were gone. He said that he would help me free you, and he did." She tells me absently.

"That's all?" I ask, trying to get more out of her. "Are you okay?"

Vivian shakes her head. "I was shot in the stomach." She tells me. "I'm lucky to be alive. Most wounds that are in the stomach are hard to recover from."

I look at her and realize that she's scared. Vivian isn't Tris, no matter how much alike I think they are. Tris was very suicidal for a few weeks, and it wasn't until she had to face death did she realize that she wanted to live. Vivian wasn't like that. She never wanted to die to begin with, so being close to death scares her.

"What scares you more? Dying or being dead?" I ask her.

Vivian looks at me, her dark blue eyes glistening with tears. She's trying to fight them off, trying to be brave, but it's not working so well.

"Neither," she tells me and before I can call out her lie, she continues. "Being a medic had prepared me for the fact that everyone lives and everyone dies, that's just the circle of life. But its dying, knowing that I still have so much left to do that worries me. You only have so many days until the clock stops, and I've been locked up for so long that I haven't begun living yet. I don't want to die knowing that I still have things to accomplish, a life to live. Life is so valuable and fragile that it can be taken within seconds. It was almost my life. I almost died with unfinished business and that terrifies me."

I sit and stare at her for a long while. I'm not used to valuing life, and this girl knows to take it as a blessing, knowing that every day isn't certain. And I admire her for that. Not a lot of people know and accept what she has.

"Can I ask you something?" Vivian asks shyly.

"What?" I answer her.

"What is your tattoo of?"

I smile. Vivian isn't like me either. I had my tattoos for a reason, to show that I don't have to be one thing. Vivian has only known one thing. So I sit there and tell Vivian of each tattoo I have running down my spine and what they mean to me, and Vivian sits there, taking in every word I say as I tell her of myself when I was sixteen.


	16. Chapter 16

**Shout out to MimicPlus and MinervaAthena1235 for blowing up the comments section. I am starting to consider you two as friends now... Well anyways, here's this thing that got deleted randomly when my computer turned off. **

Chapter Twelve:

Vivian

Once Tobias fell asleep again, I decided against being restless and went to explore this underground facility. I had been half conscious because of all the medicine they had put me under to help heal my stomach for a week. After they eased me off the heavy sedatives, I was bed rested for another full week. I've been living off a solid diet of soft foods such as budding and soup, but even then my appetite is horrifyingly small and I begin to worry about my health. Tobias had been in a medically induced coma until this morning when he decided to wake up. The pain he felt in his legs was so unlike the one I felt in my stomach that they had to knock him out for two weeks until the pain would be bearable. I was told not to tell him that much, but I felt bad withholding that information from him when I promised not to lie to him.

I follow the labyrinth of twists and turns, not knowing where I was going, or caring that I was lost. No one paid me any attention though, which I thought was weird. You'd think someone wearing a hospital nightgown wandering the halls would get more of just a second glance that I was getting. I finally came to a room with giant paintings. I walked in, and saw the breathtaking portraits for larger than life people. Every person is wearing a crown and colored robes to match it. I walk around and look at the paintings. Under each one is a gold plaque that reads the name, birthday, time ruled, and day of death. Below are names of other family members, pointing to each other, a family tree, I guessed.

One thing I noticed as I walked around, looking at each painting, was that the royal family was named after a color. Whatever color they had, they wore in their painting. I found it a little strange and humorous. It explained why Indigo was named the way he was though. I stop at the final painting. It is of a picture of a girl wearing a dark blue gown and a crown embedded with sapphires. I look down at the plaque and see that she is the current queen, Queen Sapphire. As I look closer at her I notice that we share similar characteristics, which I dismiss as a ridiculous thought and blame it on the medicine that I'm under. Her eyes are the color of sapphires, which I find suiting for her name. Her face is softer and kinder than mine, which is angular and fierce. Plus, her nose isn't hooked on the end like mine is.

My eyes travel down to the names of her children. I notice that out of the four, three of them have been marked as "deceased". The other child, Topaz, is marked with a "?" as well as his wife Amber and their two children, Jade and Ruby. Along the row of grandchildren, I realize that each was named after a color of the rainbow: Ruby, Scarlett, Amarillo, Jade, Indigo, and Violet.

"Vivian?" asks a voice from behind me. I turn around and find Dawson standing in the doorway to the room. "What are you doing here? Are you alright?"

"Yes," I nod, "I just needed to stretch my legs. Being in a bed for two weeks really cramps up your body."

Dawson strides across the room with a strong grace that only soldiers have. He comes and stands by me, with his arms behind his back, a stance only a soldier would have. His bright blue eyes land on the painting of Queen Sapphire. I follow his gaze back to the painting, but it lands on the names with a "?" instead. "Why are all the names for Topaz's family addressed with a question mark?" I ask Dawson.

Dawson looks down at the names then says to me, "The royal family will come out to the fringe every once in a while and they will try to do the things that your government won't. When Topaz and his wife Amber went to the fringe with their two children, they were ambushed and kidnapped. We haven't found them since. That is why we're threatening war with the United States, they took something of value and we want it back. The queen has no one to pass the throne onto, so she has to start with her grandchildren. Ruby and Jade were the oldest, twins born only minutes apart, but because they've vanished, Indigo is next in line for the throne."

"Are you still looking for them?" I ask him,

"Yes, but it has no longer been our top priority. The war between the government and the fringe has become our biggest concern. We are trying everything we can to stop them from fighting." Dawson tells me. I've noticed that eerie behavior that people have before an attack. I learned about it my first night in the fringe. A war would only shatter an already broken country. It really would keep another country to stop a war from brewing.

"What exactly are you doing to stop this?" I ask Dawson, looking at him from the corner of my eye. Dawson is extremely attractive, and no matter how much I don't want to admit it, it's true. His blonde hair is short, military style, but it suits him in a way I haven't noticed with other boys. His eyes are bright, like the color of the sky. He is tall and lean, like a cat, with muscles poking out through the material of his shirt. His speed and agility would probably put Larkin to shame. But realizing that Dawson is attractive only makes me want Larkin more.

"We're helping the people of the fringe in the ways that the government doesn't, and Sapphire is trying to talk to the President to get him to see reason with the GP and the GD foolishness. Though they won't listen, we haven't given up hope." Dawson explains. He checks his watch and looks at me. "I have somewhere to be at three, but I can give you a tour until then." He tells me.

"I'd like that." I tell him.

* * *

"Each facility is identical to the main control system up in Canada." Dawson tells me. "So in other words, if you have one building memorized, you have them all known by heart." He shows me the control room, the training room, the barracks, and the launch pad, telling me about each room. He was showing me a helicopter when his watched beeped. "It's three, I need to go."

"What's going on? Are you going to turn into werewolf or something?" I ask him.

Dawson laughs, "No, I have to judge a bet. It's a strange tradition where if a bet is made, then you need a person of higher ranking to make sure the loser keeps his end of the bargain. In this case he has to get a tattoo of a unicorn on his shoulder."

"Who makes bets like that?" I ask him,

"I don't know. If it was me, I would've had them get one that says 'Mom' inside of a flowered heart."

"You Canadians are weird." I mutter.

"You should come witness it." Dawson tells me. "It's going to be funny."

So I follow him though more hallways until we reach a room. Dawson holds the door open for me as I walk through. The room is painted a dark red, with pictures of designs hanging up onto the walls. There is a huge crowd of people surrounding a chair that held a buff looking man. Dawson makes his way through the crowd and stands beside the chair. I watch as another man draws a picture of what must be a unicorn onto his shoulder.

Uninterested in the bet, I walk over to a book with a bunch of pictures on it. I suddenly have an idea for a tattoo, but I'm too scared to go through with it. That is until a man with dark skin comes over and talks to me. I tell him of my idea and he smiles, saying he can do it. I follow him into a back room and sit down at a chair identical to the one the other man is sitting at. The man introduces himself as Bobby and I tell him my name.

"What I'm going to do first Vivian is clean your skin." Bobby tells me, washing my arms with an antiseptic wipe. He places a template over my left forearm and my right wrist, leaving a black outline of my tattoo. "Is that good?" he asks me.

I nod, "Yes, that's perfect."

Bobby turns on the needle and holds down my wrist. _Be brave, _I tell myself. When the needle touches my skin, I don't even flinch.


	17. Chapter 17

**Who knew that copy-n-pasting-n-editing could be so hard sometimes? Geeze. **

Chapter Thirteen:

Tobias

When I wake up, I immediately find Vivian sleeping curled up in a chair beside my bed. Her hair was damp with fresh shower water, and her new black shirt was riding up at her stomach, revealing a white bandage, covering where she was shot. I also notice two other bandages on her arm, which I become curious about because they weren't there before. Right across Vivian's face is a strand of hair that flutters with every breath she takes.

I look around at the infirmary. There are rows upon rows of beds, and next to each one was a nightstand and a chair. Not many people were in here, but the ones who were, they were separated for privacy.

Vivian stirs in her sleep. She must've moved her stomach awkwardly because she winces, then wakes up. From the sunlight shining in through the windows at the top of the high walls, Vivian's eyes looked like oceans, full of a fierce beauty. She looks at me and I look at her, both of us remaining silent for a long time.

"Do me a favor, and don't make a bet with a soldier. They are incredibly stupid." She says, sitting up. She doesn't adjust her shirt, so it just rides up more. She must not notice it. "You're finally awake." She tells me.

"Look who's talking," I say, pointing out the fact that she was just sleeping in the chair.

"That's not what I – you know what? Forget what I just said." Vivian yaws, stretching her arms behind her head.

"What happened to your arms?" I ask her, nodding to the white bandages on her arms.

Vivian looks down at them, confused for a moment, and then remembering. "Ohh…" she scratches her head awkwardly. "I, um, I may or may not have gotten a tattoo."

"What?" I ask.

"I may or may not have gotten a tattoo…" Vivian repeats shyly. She's embarrassed, probably because it wasn't socially acceptable for her.

"You got a tattoo?"

"Didn't we just establish this?" she asks me.

"You weren't very clear about it." I answer.

"Yes, I got a tattoo." Vivian clarifies to me.

"Can I see your new tattoo?" I ask.

Vivian stands up and comes to sit beside me on my bed. I watch her remove the bandage that is lower on her right wrist. It reveals the words: **Be Brave**. Vivian covers up her wrist and removes the bandage on her left forearm. She shows me her arm and I see multiple words:

**BRAVE** [breyv]

**_adjective, _****brav·er, brav·est.**

**1.** possessing or exhibiting courage or courageous endurance.

**2 .**making a fine appearance.

**3.** _Archaic. _excellent; fine; admirable.

**_noun_**

**4.** a brave person.

**5.** a warrior, especially among North American Indian tribes.

**6. **_Obsolete _.

**a.** a bully

**b.** a boast or challenge.

**LIFE ** [lahyf]

**_noun, plural _****lives ** [lahyvz]

**1.**the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally.

**2.**the sum of the distinguishing phenomena of organisms, especially metabolism, growth, reproduction, and adaptation to environment.

**3.**the animate existence or period of animate existence of an individual: _to risk one's life; a short life and a merry one._

**4.**a corresponding state, existence, or principle of existence conceived of as belonging to the soul: _eternal life._

**5.** the general or universal condition of human existence: _Too bad, but life is like that._

**_FEAR _**_[feer] _

**_noun_**

**_1._**_a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real orimagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. __**Synonyms: **__foreboding, apprehension, consternation, dismay, dread, terror, fright, panic, horror, trepidation, qualm. __**Antonyms: **__courage,security, calm, intrepidity._

**_2._**_a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling: an abnormal fear of heights. __**Synonym s: **__phobia,aversion; bête noire, bogy, bogey, bugbear. __**Antonyms: **__liking, fondness, penchant, predilection._

**_3._**_concern or anxiety; solicitude: a fear for someone's safety._

**_4._**_reverential awe, __especially__ toward God: the fear of God. __**Synonyms: **__awe, respect, reverence,veneration._

**_5._**_something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension; something a person is afraid of: Cancer is a common fear._

I look up at Vivian as she stares at the words on her arm. "I got them to remind me." She mutters softly. She bandages up her arm again and looks at me. "I'd been thinking about having a tattoo to remind myself who I am like you do. And in the spur of the moment, I did it."

"I like them," I tell her. "Sometimes you need a visible reminder of who you are and who you can be. There's nothing bad about it."

Vivian smiles, "Do you really think so?"

I nod, "Yes," I smile a little, "I have ones on my back to prove it."

Vivian laughs and so do I.

* * *

Indigo wants to see us the following morning. Vivian pushes me in a wheel chair, following Dawson as he leads us down many halls. None of us say a word, and frankly I'm a little nervous to find out what he wants. Vivian had told me about the Hall of Royals and how each and every one of them was named after colors. She also told me about what Dawson told her for protecting the fringe and trying to get through to the United States Government. I could tell by the way she spoke that she knew it wasn't enough. And even I could tell that it wasn't.

Indigo sits alone at a table in the control room. His left hand was resting on the table, his fingers taping it idly. Dawson walks towards Indigo and stands at his right. Indigo looks up and his eyes land on mine before passing to Vivian's. I watch her stiffen up beside me, but she respectfully doesn't say a word. I follow her lead.

"I spoke with my grandmother, the queen." Indigo tells us. "And she wants to meet the girl who came from the capital. She feels that you, Vivian, might hold the key to answering the time old question of how to end the war that is about to begin."

Vivian looks at him. "It would be an honor to speak with your queen." She says calmly.

"Excellent," Indigo says, a smile creeping across his face. "Once you both are healed enough for travel, we will head back to Canada." Vivian nods politely. "You may go now."

Vivian pushes me out of the room and back to the infirmary, where she helps get me back into my bed. She moves my wheelchair and sits on my bed for a few moments, lost in thought. Then without warning, she moves so her face is only inches from mine. "If you don't trust that boy as much as I do, then we are going to have some problems." Vivian growls. It takes a minute for me to realize who she's talking about. Indigo.

"Don't worry," I tell her, "I don't trust him."

"We have to watch each other's backs, now more than ever. You're the only one I trust." Then Vivian is gone, going back to her own bed. Lying there, I agree with her. I don't trust anyone here, and that might be a good sense.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi People! So it is the night before the Super Bowl, so don't mind me saying, "GO HAWKS!" (I is a Washingtonian so I'sa Seahawks person) Welp, here's the next chapter and I wanted again to say that I really like it when you people do the thing that tells me your thoughts and ideas cause I love that thing. **

Chapter Fourteen:

Dawson

"You know where she came from, don't you Dawson?" Indigo asks me as I stare out the door Vivian and Tobias just left. Indigo sits at the table, idly twirling a knife and twisting a hole into the polished wood. I stand there and stare at him, thinking that whoever gave this boy a knife was an idiot.

I personally knew the Royal family and knew the flaws they had. Indigo's was worse than his cousins, though. He was a psychopath, though most didn't know it. But I did. I make a grab for the dagger and swipe it from his grasp so quickly he didn't even see it coming. Indigo looks at me with a pitiful expression on his face that I know says, "What did you do that for?"

"Yes, Vivian came from the government. She escaped which explains why the Black Hawks were looking for her." I say, putting the dagger on the desk behind me.

Indigo's dark eyes are full of malice. "She's a spy."

I roll my eyes, turning to face him. "And what makes you say that?"

"Look at where she came from."

"She's scared, can't you see that. You look at her and see a villain, but I see a scared girl who's watching a war begin." I snap. "Not everyone you meet is evil, Indigo."

"I don't trust her." He says to me flatly.

"That's your judgment, not mine. I think she is a great person to have on our side." I argue.

"Then why don't you find out if her motives are pure."

"Who says she even has motives? She stumbled across us by accident. It's not like she chose to be here."

"Keep your enemies close Dawson."

"Fine, I will. But I'm the one in charge of the military, so let me handle military things. It's my job to protect you, Indigo, so let me do it."

"What if she's not who she says she is?"

"Then we learned a valuable lesson." I respond. "Now, if you excuse me, I have important things to handle."

"You're saying this isn't important?"

"No Indigo, I'm just saying that this isn't a problem yet."

"Fine, but keep this matter a top priority."

I walk out of the room, "Whatever you say, Your Highness."

* * *

"Is it supposed to look that way?" I ask Vivian as she removes a bandage from Tobias's leg. His leg is purple from bruises and there are stiches from where the shrapnel was pulled out of his leg. It was one of the grosses things I had ever seen, but I didn't say anything considering how unfazed by this Vivian was.

"What did you expect to happen, Dawson? Butterflies and rainbows shooting out of the cast once it was off?"

"No, I just didn't expect it to look like…that."

"You two do know I can hear you, right?" Tobias speaks up. The poor guy must've been really uncomfortable with us talking about his leg like this…Okay I was the one doing it, but still.

"I'm sorry, but seriously man, your leg looks messed up."

Vivian rolls her eyes, "If you listen to one word Dawson says, Tobias, I will purposely drug you until you think your name is Mark and you're from the moon."

"Why are you being so dramatic Vi?" Tobias asks her as she cleans his wound.

"I thought I was being funny." She reapplies a bandage over his leg. "I guess I need to work on my sense of humor."

"I thought you were funny." I tell her.

Vivian looks from me to Tobias and says, "There are two kinds of people; Dawson and Tobias."

"What's that's supposed to mean?" I ask her defensively.

Vivian smiles, "You're not supposed to know, Dawson, that's the point." She looks down at Tobias. "I'm giving you a pain killer that may put you to sleep, okay?"

"Okay."

Vivian moves with a grace that I haven't seen in most people. Every movement she has is definite, like she knows everything. She looks comfortable with what she's doing, and I admire her for that.

Tobias sends us away a few minutes later, so I walk with Vivian, not really caring where I'm going, as long as I'm with her. I watch her pull her brown curls to one side, so it hangs off her right shoulder. The movement tickles my arm, but I don't protest. I enjoy her company, just like I had these past few weeks.

"Tell me Vivian, what scares you?" I ask her after a few moments.

Vivian doesn't answer. I watch her drift off into the unknown, and I immediately begin to fear that I scared her, but she returns after a long time. I think about where she went and how I could go with her.

"I'm not scared of much. In a moment I can be scared of anything yet nothing. I think, though, the thing that scares me the most is the person I've become."

"Why are you scared of her?" I ask.

"I've been so used to following orders and being this obedient child who was unable to show any feelings or emotions I had. And when I left, I shed that skin. But now I don't know what to think about the rebel I've become, or the fighter who consumed me. I don't think anyone who knew me would even recognize me. And that scares me a little."

We walk in silence for a few moments before she asks me the same question.

"I'm scared of the dark." I say quietly.

"You're scared of the dark? What's so bad about it?" Vivian asks me.

"When I was little, the Hawks came after my family. We were forced to run in the dark of the night. I couldn't see a thing, but my father kept telling me to run. So I ran. I heard gun shots, and I never saw my parents again. It was just me and my sister, alone in this world. Every time I encounter the dark, I'm seven again in that night."

I don't realize that I've started crying, but when I do, I try to brush the tears without Vivian noticing. But she does. She pulls me into her and holds me, telling me it's okay to cry. And maybe it is, but I haven't cried in forever. And I haven't cried in front of anyone after my parents' death. But I cry here with Vivian, who never says a word. She doesn't call me out for being weak, but instead just holds me tightly.

"I'm sorry, I'm not normally like this." I tell her.

Vivian laughs sweetly. "Don't be. I cried for weeks for no reason when I left just to show emotion. I found that crying is strength and not a weakness. It's a way of letting go of what hurt you." Vivian tells me.

I just hope she's right.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Fifteen:

Larkin

They don't know were coming. Those poor bastards have no idea what is coming to them. But Vivian is there and I have to get her out before they get to her and force her to go back. I can't let them harm her. I can't.

I wander through the labyrinth of corridors. The other Hawks are somewhere behind me, trying to take out the control system. But I'm looking for her. I keep running into dead ends and I've been spotted a few times, so I run, pushing through doors and sending warning shots into the air to keep the members of this compound away from me.

I push through a heavy set of doors and found myself in the infirmary. Sirens are wailing in the distance, the sounds of intruders. I quickly scan the beds for any sign of Vivian, but she's not there. Instead I find the boy who perfectly fits Tris's definition as Tobias. He's lying on a bed, giving me a questionable look as I make sure the coast is clear.

"Seriously? There are invaders inside and they leave a patient alone in the infirmary? That is just unacceptable." I say to him as I approach him. When in doubt, be funny.

"I can't move, my legs are injured." Tobias says.

I notice a wheelchair a few feet away and I bring it towards him. "Of course, leave the paralyzed one on his own. That always works out well."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm causing a prison break without actually getting caught. So, in other words, I'm getting you out." I lift Tobias out of his bed and half drag him into the wheelchair.

"Easy" He calls out to me.

"Don't really have time for that, sorry." I spin the chair around and jog to the doors.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Tobias asks, gripping the doorframe to stop me.

"Vivian does," is all I say.

After a moment Tobias releases the door. "Fair point."

"What way?" I ask him, turning down a random hallway.

"I don't know," Tobias calls back.

"How do you not know? You've been here longer than I have!"

"I haven't left the hospital. If you haven't noticed, I can't move!"

"Damn," I curse. "You better start wishing I can find the right hallway."

Turns out, I was in the right place. Everyone was making their way to the launch pad to escape and that's where the hallway led to. I pushed Tobias through the doors and over to a helicopter where they were loading passengers. "Make sure he gets out." I tell one of the pilots. I turn to Tobias, just before they put him in. "Listen to them and do what they tell you. I'm going to find Vivian and make sure she gets out. I promise I won't let harm come to her."

Tobias grabs my arm. "Answer me one thing…"

I know what it is. Tris. "She's alive and well. I created a lie that she wasn't what they thought she was, and that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. They let her go and I'm protecting her with my life until she gets out. I promise I will get her out."

Tobias lets go of my arm and I leave him. I race back down the hallway, deciding to stay close because if Vivian hasn't already left, then she's about to. I hear gunshots and pull out my gun to make it look like I'm actually helping. I run into Spen a few times, but he doesn't acknowledge my existence, like he hadn't for 20 years. After he yells at me to keep moving, I find myself running down a few more hallways.

Then I'm caught in the middle of crossfire.

Behind me are a few Hawks and in front of me is a boy with blonde hair wearing the navy uniform of the Royal Army. Behind him, hiding behind a wall for protection is Vivian. She looks at the boy frantically, and then notices me standing there. The Hawks haven't noticed her yet, but they will in a moment.

I act quick, lunging for the boy and knocking the gun out of his hands and I hold my gun to the back of his head. "He knows where she is." I say to the Hawks. "Go deal with the army and I'll have him take me to her." They nod and run off down the hallway to their right. The perks of being related to the General.

When I know that they're really gone, I lower my gun and release the boy. I turn to the corner where I saw Vivian and find her standing only feet away. I stare at her and really see her since she left. Her brown curls had grown out so they touched her waist. Her blue eyes had become brighter, so they looked more like sapphires than black crystals. She had tattoos on her wrist and a brave look in her eye. Vivian isn't the same, I know that. I just hope the part of her that loves me is still in there.

"Larkin," she says to me, and begins to smile.

"Hello Vivian," I answer, closing the distance between us. I fit my lips to hers and pull her close. It has been far too long since I was last able to do this and that thought makes me angry. But she's here now and she's safe; that's all that matters. I feel her arms tighten around me as I lift her off her feet and hold her there for a moment.

"I hate to intrude," the boy speaks up, "But we have to go."

Vivian and I break apart. He's right, we don't have much time. "Then let's go then." I nod to the boy, "Show us the way out."

The boy looks at me then to Vivian. There's a look in his eye, one I've come to know in Abraham; loving someone you can't have. I feel Vivian's fingers snake into mine and I hold them there. I decide that no matter what happens, I hate this boy and I will fight to make sure he doesn't come in between us. "Let's go." The boy says and leads us down numerous hallways.

We are lucky and don't come across any Hawks, but that doesn't make me any less nervous. Once we've reached the launch pad, the boy climbs into the final helicopter and offers Vivian his hand. Vivian looks at me, "You can't come with us, no matter how much I want you to." She states, accepting the fact.

"Good, cause I'm not taking a Black Hawk." Says the boy cruelly.

Vivian glares at him, "Dawson,"

Dawson rolls his eyes and gives us a moment. I look straight into her blue eyes, trying to find a way to be lost in them forever. "When this is all over," I tell her, "I'll go with you, wherever you are."

I lean in and kiss her goodbye, then watch as she climbs into the helicopter. I stand there as it takes off and watch her fly away to safety, and away from me. When she is truly gone, I pull out my gun. I let a prisoner escape without an excuse so I have to make one. I hold the gun to my shoulder, knowing that it's the most believable place, and close my eyes as I pull the trigger.


	20. Chapter 20

**I apologize for my trying to sound like Tris. I'm struggling to sound like her. Anyways, here's this, and thanks for commenting! **

Chapter Sixteen:

Tris

"What the hell happened to you?" I ask as Abraham patches up Larkin's shoulder. He just came back from a raid to some underground facility belonging to the Royal army and was shot. I was told that they found him lying in a pool of his own blood where helicopters were launched. No one knew the full story yet.

"I was being a super hero and got shot." Larkin says smiling. Only Larkin can smile when he his having a bullet removed from him.

"No, really, what happened?" I ask. I don't really want to hear him be funny right now, but at least I know he's okay.

"I was trying to get Vivian, like my orders told me to, and I was shot by a boy who helped her escape." He says bitterly, but the look in his eyes tells me a different story. Larkin doesn't lie to me, except in moments where what he says could cost him his life. From the look he gives me I conclude that he helped Vivian escape and possibly shot himself, or was actually shot by someone.

"Looks like she has a new boyfriend then." I say jokingly so that whoever was listening would believe his story more.

The look he gives me is murderous and I know I hit a sore spot. "Yeah, she has someone who can actually love her and protect her." He says dryly. No matter if Vivian was still loyal to him, Larkin now doubted it because there was another boy in the picture. I try to imagine that happening with Tobias, but I can't; so I don't understand Larkin's pain.

I've noticed that over time, Larkin has loved her more and more to the point where her absence physically hurts him. He had to let her go to be free, but that hurt him deeply. Now if there's another boy, Larkin might actually do something tragic. He hadn't had the best life growing up, and one little thing could push him over the edge.

I've seen what has happened to people who have gone off the edge and it is not good. Now I worry for Larkin and his life. He won't be able to last much longer and it might actually end up killing him. He needs Vivian like he needs air, and right now, he's suffocating.

"I met Tobias," Larkin says, changing the subject. "Strapping young lad, but he doesn't have much of a sense of humor. I think you deserve humor."

"That's why I have you; you give me a laugh when I need one." I say, sitting beside him.

He takes my hand in his and holds it tightly. He doesn't say anything and I'm not so sure that there's nothing I could say that would make him feel any better. I rub my thumb over his hand, comforting him with my actions.

"Larkin, she loves you." Says someone behind us. I almost forgot Abraham was there, but here he was, comforting Larkin. It was strange because Larkin and I knew that Abraham hated Larkin.

"Excuse me, Sir?" Larkin says.

"I know Vivian better than most. I taught her to conceal her emotions and she did it perfectly, except when you were in the room. I saw the way she looked at you; there was so much love in her eyes that I could've sworn she thought you put the stars in the sky. Vivian never uses her words or her actions to show how she feels, but you can see it in the way she looks at you. I bet she was looking at you the same way she always was."

Larkin looks down at our hands. "You really think she looks at me like that?"

"Even a blind man could tell." Abraham says. "You're all good; just take it easy with that shoulder."

Abraham leaves the room, shutting the door between us and him. I wonder how lonely he must've been, being locked up his whole life. Larkin told me he had cancer, and that it was slowly claiming his life. There was nothing anyone could do.

"Come on, I'll walk you back." Larkin says standing up. I follow him to the elevator and stand close to him as we rise to the second floor. I've been on parole ever since Larkin got the government to see reason about me. He told them that I wasn't defying my government, but saving the people I love instead. They always have an officer with me to make sure I don't do something like that again, even if it is to save people I love. Larkin is my officer most of the time, making us close. He's the closest thing to family I have here.

"How was Tobias?" I ask, curiosity getting the best of me.

"He was wounded in the legs. Never got the chance to find out why or how bad it was. All I knew was he was in a wheelchair. He got out because some insane bastard made sure of it." I know Larkin was talking of himself, and I hug him to show my gratitude. I worry for Tobias, but if Vivian is at his side, then I know he'll be okay.

Though I haven't seen them in action, I'm almost positive that Tobias and Vivian make a good team. Tobias knows how to fight and keep himself alive in tough situations. Vivian knows how to live off of instinct and what is around her. Plus, she can heal almost any injury. I have no doubt that they both are fine, wherever they are.

"Where do you think they are?" I ask Larkin.

"Who knows? Probably safe inside a different country."

"I like safe. Safe is good."

"I wish we were safe." Larkin runs his fingers through his short hair. "They're with the right people. Things are about to change here, Tris, and for all I know, a war will begin. Just be ready."

I am. I am ready.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Seventeen:

Tobias

It's been a week, and we're still waiting for clearance to see the queen. During that time, Vivian has become a prisoner to her own mind. Something snapped inside her when we left, but she hasn't told me what. In fact, Vivian hasn't said a word. She normally sits on her bed by the window of the castle and stares out at the valleys around us. I try to talk to her, but it's like she's gone deaf and can't hear me. She can't hear anyone.

Dawson shows me around the grand palace. Though it's meant to be bright and lively, with all the bright colors and brightness of it all in general, but it is as if the colors have faded and the lights have gone dim. No one is able to put their finger on it. No one knows why.

Right now I sit on my bed, staring at Vivian's occupied one, trying to figure out what happened to her. I keep calling to her, but she doesn't respond. It's like all her fire had been drained for no reason.

I hear a knock at the wooden doors and Dawson pokes his head in. "I hate to be a bother, but I have orders to take you both to a medical cleansing. Don't worry; all they're going to do is make sure you're not carrying any disease that will kill someone."

We both look to Vivian, as if wondering how to get her to leave, but she gets up and pushes her way past Dawson and stands in the hallway until we catch up to her. Dawson leads us down an elaborately decorated hallway. The red drapes are pulled back by gold ropes, letting in the brilliant rays of sunlight. The hall is a lined with numerous paintings and portraits against the sapphire walls. I try to take it all in, but Vivian doesn't seem to care.

I wrap my arm around her shoulder, trying to show her that I'm still here. After a long moment, I feel her arm snake around my lower back, holding me tightly. "I'm sorry," I hear her voice whisper. "I'll tell you when we're done here. I'll tell you everything."

"Are you okay?" I ask her.

"No," her voice barely a whisper, softer than the summer breeze.

"Look who's finally talking," Dawson says, turning around. Vivian doesn't say another word. I wonder why, considering that she and Dawson has been becoming really close.

We descend numerous flights of stairs before coming to a floor that reminds me much of the Bureau. The halls are bleached white with florescent lights lighting the way. The tile echoes beneath our feet. Vivian begins to slouch beneath my arm. This probably brings back bad memories for her, being locked up in her own little prison like this for her whole life.

Dawson opens a door on his right and ushers us into a room. There are two beds set up, with paper pulled down. There are two folded pieces of material on the beds. There are tables at the end of the room with numerous vials and tubes and needles set up in neat rows. Standing over the tables are two boys dressed in white.

"Alan, John, I have them for you." Dawson says to them.

"Thank you Dawson." A red haired boy says. "We'll take good care of them." Vivian and I are moved towards the beds and we sit down. The red haired boy hands me the cloth and points to a room. "You can go change in there."

I get up from the bed, taking the cloth with me, and I walk into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. The garment given to me is basically a dress, just very thin. I feel awkward putting it on, but I don't have much choice. The fabric comes to a spot just above my knees and I realize how strange it must feel for girls to wear them.

Deciding that I should just get this over with, I step back into the small room. Vivian exactly where I left her, except that she has put on her garment as well. She stares at the ground, swinging her legs back and forth. She glances up when I come in, but she still doesn't say anything. I sit back down on the bed reserved for me and stare at all the equipment.

The red haired boy introduces himself as Alan, and then introduces his shy partner as John. John looks up at me, then back down at the equipment. "I'm going to start by taking blood samples. Because there's going to be a lot of tests done on your blood, I will extract an ounce from each of you."

Alan moves to me and begins cleaning my arm. "This won't hurt at all," he tells me, smiling, "I promise." When he begins to move a needle that is attached to a bag to my arm, Vivian speaks up.

"You're not doing it correctly." her voice is stronger now.

"Excuse me Miss-"

"Vivian, my name is Vivian."

"Miss. Vivian, I assure you, I know exactly what I'm doing." Alan reassures her. He turns back to me and moves the needle closer.

Vivian speaks up, "You really don't know what you're doing, don't you?"

"Why don't you tell me what I'm doing wrong, then?" Alan snaps at her.

Vivian gets up and strides over to me. She takes my arm and begins pressing down onto the inside of my elbow. I don't know what she's doing, but I let her continue. She keeps pressing on a certain spot, before deciding to start. Vivian takes the needle and guides it into my skin. I don't even feel it.

"You forgot to find a vein." She says, resting my arm into a comfortable position. "Veins carry blood. You'll get more that way. Some carry more than others." Vivian sits down and cleans her own skin, then, after finding a vein, she guides the needle into her own skin. We sit there as our blood is drained into the bags, unfazed by all of this. We both had grown used to the feelings of needles and the sight of blood over time.

When the bags are full and everyone is positive that we aren't going to pass out from blood loss, Alan and John leave us alone for a while to run tests. Once they've been gone for ten minutes or so, Vivian speaks up. "I ran into Spen."

"Who's Spen?" I ask her.

"I forgot, you don't know him," she chuckles a little. "Spen is Larkin's older brother and the President's personal robot."

"So, is that why you've-?"

"Gone mental?" Vivian finishes, "No, but it's what he said that did."

"What did Spen say?" I ask her.

"He warned me that if I keep up with trying to end all of this, then the people I love will just keep getting hurt. I remembered Larkin, and how he saved the both of us. If he had gotten caught, then he's as good as dead. In fact, death would be better than the fate they would make him face. Everyday we're out here is another day that someone we care about is tortured. I can't live with the fact that it's because of me."

"Larkin knew what he was getting into, Vivian; you can't protect him from everything."

"But that doesn't make up for everyone else. Don't you understand? We have our personal motives, but at the end of the day, this is bigger than the both of us. We have to protect all the GD's from that fate. We have to stop this war, because though there's no bombs exploding or guns killing, this war has already begun. This isn't about saving Tris anymore. This is about saving innocent lives from the evil that lurks in the rulers. I have a theory and it's this: the rulers are the same as the killers. They will kill every damned soul that doesn't have a set of perfect genes. And I was too blind to notice it."

"Vivian…"

"No, my father always told me 'conceal, don't feel' and I didn't know how true that was. When I was hiding everything and not feeling it, I was able to understand what the hell was going on in the world. Now that I have found freedom, I realize that I may never actually be free until I cut the chains that have bound me. And those chains are the corrupt killers who don't give a damn about anyone except them. They will kill and kill and kill until there's no one left. It will be a massacre and I just realize how impossible this task is. That's why I broke down. I can't handle the thought of innocent people dying because of one killer in particular."

I don't say anything to Vivian as she begins to cry. One thing I will never truly understand is how she is able to see the world through so many different eyes. She sees things that most people ignore. Maybe if we still had factions then she would've been a fantastic Erudite, but I see something bigger in her. She's brilliant, yeah, but she has a quality so unmistakable that I can recognize in a heartbeat. Vivian is Dauntless through and through.

"I'm lying down, I don't feel too well," Vivian says once she pulls herself together. She rolls over to face the wall and doesn't say another word. I decide to lie down to, so I stretch out on the bed and close my eyes, thinking about everything Vivian had just said. After an hour or so had passed, I hear the door open and footsteps enter the room.

I sit up and look around. Dawson has entered the room and sits at the end of Vivian's bed. He's wrapping a blanket around her and I notice that a pillow has been slid under her head. Dawson tosses me a blanket and pillow as well. "Get some sleep down here while they finish the tests. In the morning, you will visit with the queen."


	22. Chapter 22

**Okay guys, here it is: the final chapter. I'm making this story into a trilogy just the VR so this is just the end of the first one. The second story will be called Prisoner so keep an eye out for it. I promise there will be more of the original characters imstead of just mainly Tobias. I hope you enjoy the ending and don't forget to review!**

Chapter Eighteen:

Vivian

I don't understand how I went from being free and fearless to being trapped inside my own mind as a prisoner in ten minutes flat. With my sanity also went my dignity, both thrown out the window randomly without warning. I feel embarrassed about this past week and how I shut down. But I don't confront Tobias about it. I can't. I don't know how.

When morning comes and we're cleared by the doctors, Tobias and I are taken back to our room where cloths are laid out on the bed of us. I look at the sapphire colored dress that is meant for me and take it with me to the bathroom to get dressed. I braid my messy hair to the side, letting it drape over my left shoulder. It takes me five minutes to figure my way into the blue fabric, but I figure it out eventually. I walk over to the long mirror and look at myself. The blue isn't really my color, but the dress itself is pretty enough. It's made of silk, with beads elaborately interwoven down the bodice and into the skirt. The skirt hits the ground around my feet, making a pool of blue silk. The dress hangs off my shoulders, leaving them bare. It makes me a little uncomfortable, but I remember it's only for a few moments so I suck it up. There are shoes to match the dress, but they are like miniature torture devices that I let the dress cover up the fact my feet are bare.

I walk back into the bedroom and see Tobias sitting on the edge of the bed wearing a suit made of the same blue fabric as my dress. He wears a black button-up shirt underneath it, but has a tie to match the suit. Once he notices me standing there, we just look at each other for a long while. We both look uncomfortable in what has been chosen for us, but what does it really matter anymore?

"You look pretty," he says to me.

I look down at my dress then back to him. "I look like a girl for once."

"Very true, but you make a great girl."

"Thanks, I'll keep it in mind for when the day comes and I'm forced to become a girl."

Tobias laughs and I laugh with him. "Are you nervous?" he asks.

"Why should I be? I've met people similar to her. It won't be all that different."

"You never know," Tobias says. A knock at the door draws both of our attentions towards it. Dawson pokes his head in. He doesn't say anything because we both know what he's saying. Tobias stands up and walks over to the door and I follow closely behind. Dawson leads us through the palace, but none of us say anything to each other. I trip over my dress sometimes and Tobias smiles, but I can't lift up the hem because it'll reveal my bare feet.

After what seems to be a long moment we reach a room that is hidden behind giant wooden doors. Two guards stand perfectly still on either side. When Dawson approaches them, the two guards open the doors revealing a vast room filled with all the colors you could imagine. Dawson and Tobias walk in, but I'm too in awe to move. Dawson walks back towards me and offers me his arm to guide me and I take it without hesitation. It feels nice to have someone I trust close by. At the end of the room is a giant gold throne with six thrones on either side. All seven are occupied except for two. In the center throne sits Queen Sapphire. To her left is Indigo and to her right must be Violet. Scarlett and Amarillo sit next to their siblings. The seven stare at us as we stop in front of the throne.

Dawson lets go of my arm and bows. Tobias and I follow his example.

"Thank you Dawson for bringing our guests." Sapphire says.

"It was my pleasure My Lady." Dawson says rising off his knees. Tobias and I do the same. Dawson lightly touches our shoulders encouragingly then walks to stand behind the royal family.

Sapphire looks at us. "Vivian, Tobias, I would like to hear your stories."

Where do I even begin? So I begin at the beginning. I tell Sapphire of my life as a medic and all the rules that applied to it. I tell her of meeting Beatrice Prior and how she changed me into being the person I was now. I tell her of running away into the fringe and how I spent two years trying to find Tobias and convincing him to come with me to get help stopping the war. I tell her of the months we had spent trying to get to where we are today. "So here I am telling you my story Your Majesty."

"Thank you Vivian." Sapphire says. She looks to Tobias and he tells her his story. He tells her of Chicago and the factions. He tells her of growing up in an Abnegation home then choosing Dauntless at his Choosing Ceremony. He tells her of the two years he spent Dauntless before the battle for power arose. He tells her of the factionless and of the Erudite, how they both fought for power. He tells her of running off into the fringe after a video was found showing that someone out there needed help. He tells her of what he learned with the GPs and the GDs. He tells her of stopping it and how he lost Tris in the process. He tells her of the New Chicago and life there without factions. But most of all, he tells her of meeting me and how I led him off onto this crazy adventure.

After he has finished we both stand there in silence. Queen Sapphire sits there and stares at us. "I apologize for your journey to warn us about something we already knew."

"Don't be, Your Majesty," I pipe up, "I wouldn't be the girl I am now if I hadn't made this journey."

"But in any case, it was not a total waste."

Tobias and I look at each other slightly confused. "My Lady?" Tobias asks her.

"It seems to me, that you two don't know your own history." Sapphire tells us.

"What do you mean?" I ask her.

"Children, would you give us a moment?" the queen asks. All of her grandchildren stand up and gracefully walk out of the room, leaving us alone with the queen and Dawson. "That includes you, dear Dawson." Dawson looks at the queen from where he's standing then back at us. He nods encouragingly than follows the royals out to the throne room. When it is just Tobias and I and the queen, she speaks up, "As you both know I had blood tests run on you when you got here."

We nod, remembering the bruises on our arms from where the blood was removed. "One of the tests was a DNA test." The queen tells us. "Do you know the story of what happened to my son Topaz?"

"Yes," both Tobias and I say. Topaz, his wife, and their two children had been kidnapped almost twenty years ago.

"Your tests results have come back." The queen tells us. "And it might not be what you were expecting."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"It appears, from your stories and what I already know, that Abraham is not your father, Vivian. And Tobias' parents are still his parents, but they have different names after their memories were erased. From what I know, you two are the lost twins of Topaz and Amber, or as you may know them, Marcus and Evelyn Eaton."

I'm too stunned to even look at Tobias or the queen. _Twins. _Tobias and I are twins. He is my brother. I am his sister. Twins.

The air around me begins to feel really thin and I can't breathe. I feel faint and I start gasping for air, having a panic attack. Tobias just stares at the queen with a blank expression, but I can't control myself. Needing fresh air, I run.

I run and don't stop for anyone who calls out.

Twins.

Abraham is not my father.

Tobias is my brother.

Twins.


	23. Author's Note

**Hey Guys! So that's it for this story (how'd I do on the cliffhanger portion?) Anyways, the next story in my take on the Divergent Trilogy is called Prisoner. I uploaded the first chapter so it's out there floating in cyberspace. Have fun finding it (Honestly, just go to my page, it's there) and I hope you enjoyed reading Freedom just as much as I enjoyed writing it. Hope to see some of you guys over at Prisoner :) **

**-G**


End file.
